Epidemiology of shopping cart-related injuries to children. An analysis of national data for 1990 to 1992

G. A. Smith, A. M. Dietrich, C. T. Garcia and B. J. Shields
Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of shopping cart-related injuries among children in the United States. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for 1990 to 1992. RESULTS: An estimated 75,200 shopping cart-related injuries occurred in children younger than 15 years treated in US emergency departments during 1990 to 1992 (95% confidence interval, 57,500 to 92,900). Children younger than 5 years were at highest risk, accounting for 63,200 (84%) of the injuries. A 20% increase was observed in the number of injuries among 0- to 4-year-old children from 1990 to 1992. Fifty-three percent of injured children were male. The head and neck region was the most common anatomic site of injury, accounting for 74% of injuries among children younger than 15 years. An estimated 2000 children (2.7%) younger than 15 years required hospital admission (1.2% in 1990 compared with 3.5% in 1992). Children aged 0 to 4 years accounted for 93% of these hospital admissions. Among 0- to 14-year-old children, fractures accounted for 45% of hospital admissions, followed by internal injury (22%) and concussion (17%). CONCLUSIONS: Injuries related to shopping carts are an important cause of pediatric morbidity, especially among children younger than 5 years. These injuries can also result in death. Shopping carts should be redesigned to decrease the risk of injury to children, and transportation of children in shopping carts of current design should be prohibited.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Annual Risk of Death Resulting From Short Falls Among Young Children: Less Than 1 in 1 Million
Chadwick et al.
Pediatrics 2008;121:1213-1224.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Improving Safety-Restraint Use by Children in Shopping Carts: Evaluation of a Store-Based Safety Intervention
Smith
Pediatrics 2006;118:739-745.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Shopping Cart-Related Injuries to Children
Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Preventi
Pediatrics 2006;118:825-827.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Shopping Cart-Related Injuries to Children
Smith and for the Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison
Pediatrics 2006;118:e540-e544.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Measures of injury severity in childhood: a critical overview
Beattie et al.
Inj. Prev. 1998;4:228-231.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Trampoline-Related Injuries to Children
Smith and Shields
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1998;152:694-699.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Injuries to Children in the United States Related to Trampolines, 1990-1995: A National Epidemic
Smith
Pediatrics 1998;101:406-412.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

SHOPPING CART INJURIES IN CHILDREN
JWatch General 1995;1995:8-8.
FULL TEXT