Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Baby Stroller Safety Tips

By topoointernational.com


Tips for Baby Stroller Safety

The use of baby strollers has offered a convenience to parents on the go for decades now. Do we keep aware of the many red flags and safety alerts that accompany products designed for our infants and toddlers?

While it is unfortunate to hear of a baby and/or toddler to be subjected to strollers that may cause injury, and potential death, this information has been used to compile data that will allow parents to know and understand what safety enhancements are most important when selecting baby strollers.

Parents, like yourself, need to take the time to determine if the product is safe when purchasing a unit for your child. We have tried to provide data concerning the dangers that are associated with these devices, as well as some basic safety features that are important to the health and life of your child.

Alerts for Baby Stroller Use

According to Pediatric Emergency Care, there were a number of stroller related injuries responded to in the year of 2004 to the year of 2007 by the 911 Response Team in just one community. The statistics of this particular study indicated the following:

Of 241 different incidents involving shopping carts and strollers, there were 121 related directly to stroller use, during this study over approximately three and a half years.

The ages of the children that were involved in the stroller related injuries averaged between 0 months and 6 months of age.

Falls constituted the largest number of injuries, resulting in a percentage of 47.5% of all the cases.

59% of the injuries coming from stroller related injuries were attributed to the head area.

At least 18% of the children monitored also sustained an injury directly related to the facial area.

An ambulance transported at least 77% of the children evaluated to the local emergency treatment center.

While there were no deaths, it is estimated that a little over 8% of all the children involved were hospitalized for further treatment and evaluation of their injuries.

Based on the information obtained from this study, medical professionals determined that education should be an emphasis when it comes to parents who implement the use of baby strollers. It is believed that if parents are aware of the steps to keep their children safe in strollers, there will be less likelihood that injury and even death may occur while using this type of device.

Taking Measures for Stroller Safety

If you have purchased a stroller, or you are considering purchasing a stroller, it is important that you know and understand the basic safety measures that you can take in this situation. The following details some effective strategies that have been found to enhance the safe use of strollers.

1. Fact: Strollers that are narrow tend to have the most complications when it comes to leaning and tipping over. It is essential to ensure that you purchase astroller that has a base that is relatively wide. This way, there is a reduced opportunity for tipping and accidental falls.

2. There are many situations in which parents may be tempted to hang things on the stroller handles, such as purses and diaper bags. It is important to avoid the temptation to do this. By doing so, you are posing the possibility of causing a tipping over that can result in injury.

3. It will add security to the stroller for the child when you use the seatbelt attached to the stroller at all times.

4. Take the time to use the device that locks the stroller into place every single time that you are using the stroller. It is equally important to use the wheel locking devices when the stroller is not in movement.

5. you should never leave the baby stroller unattended. It is when a child is left unattended that the most injuries occur.

6. It is important to ensure that you thoroughly check the stroller before and after each use to ensure that the parts are all secure - especially the seat area and the wheel area. If you find that any parts are loose, do not place your child in the unit prior to fixing these components; or purchase a new unit altogether.

7. Product recalls are issued on a regular basis due to safety issues, hence is is wise to always evaluate the product that you have to compare it to the product recalls. If you find that your stroller is listed, simply discard it or follow the appropriate instructions on the recall list.

Conclusion

While strollers offer a number of benefits to the parents, these devices can also pose a danger to the children that are placed in them. It is imperative to ensure that you learn as much as you can regarding what can happen, and how to prevent these situations from occurring. If you do this, it is almost a guarantee that your child and/or children will remain safe.

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