PEDIATRICS Vol. 97 No. 2 February 1996, pp. 161-165
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Smith, G. A.
Right arrow Articles by Shields, B. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Smith, G. A.
Right arrow Articles by Shields, B. J.

Injuries to Children Related to Shopping Carts

Gary A. Smith MD, DrPH1, Ann M. Dietrich MD1, C. Teresa Garcia MD1, and Brenda J. Shields MS1

1 The Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus.

Study Objective. To describe the epidemiology of shopping cart-related injuries among children and to consider targeted prevention strategies based on these epidemiologic findings.

Design. A consecutive series of patients.

Setting. The emergency department of a large, academic children's hospital.

Participants. Sixty-two children treated for shopping cart-related injuries during a 15-month period.

Results. Children ranged in age from 4 months to 10 years (mean, 2.8 years). Thirty-three children (53%) were boys. Twelve patients (19%) arrived via ambulance. Forty-nine children (79%) had injuries to the head, including one child admitted to the hospital. Eleven children (18%) had fractures, including 5 (8%) with skull fractures. Nine patients (14%) had lacerations, and 30 patients (48%) had superficial injuries (ecchymoses or abrasions). The most common mechanism of injury was falling out of the carts (58% of children), followed by cart tip-overs (26% of children). Injuries caused by falls from the carts occurred across the entire age range, whereas injuries caused by cart tip-overs were most frequent among children 1 year of age or younger. The sitting position was associated with tip-over injuries, and standing in the cart basket was associated with falling from the cart.

Conclusions. Shopping cart-related injuries cause serious pediatric morbidity, especially among children younger than 5 years of age, and are potentially fatal. Based on identified age-specific mechanisms of injury, currently used prevention strategies are not sufficient. The use of infant seats and restraining belts is an inadequate strategy for prevention of shopping cart-related injuries among children 1 year of age or younger, because cart tip-over is an important mechanism of injury in this age group. Shopping carts should be redesigned to decrease the tip-over hazard. Transportation of children in shopping carts of current design should be prohibited.

Key Words: pediatric trauma • falls • injury epidemiology • injury prevention • shopping carts

Submitted on October 17, 1994
Accepted on March 13, 1995




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 PediatricsHome page
D. L. Chadwick, G. Bertocci, E. Castillo, L. Frasier, E. Guenther, K. Hansen, B. Herman, and H. F. Krous
Annual Risk of Death Resulting From Short Falls Among Young Children: Less Than 1 in 1 Million
Pediatrics, June 1, 2008; 121(6): 1213 - 1224.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
G. A. Smith
Improving Safety-Restraint Use by Children in Shopping Carts: Evaluation of a Store-Based Safety Intervention
Pediatrics, August 1, 2006; 118(2): 739 - 745.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Preventi
Shopping Cart-Related Injuries to Children
Pediatrics, August 1, 2006; 118(2): 825 - 827.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
G. A. Smith and for the Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison
Shopping Cart-Related Injuries to Children
Pediatrics, August 1, 2006; 118(2): e540 - e544.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
H. W. Ortega, B. J. Shields, and G. A. Smith
Bicycle-Related Injuries to Children and Parental Attitudes Regarding Bicycle Safety
Clinical Pediatrics, April 1, 2004; 43(3): 251 - 259.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 JWatch GeneralHome page
SHOPPING-CART INJURIES IN CHILDREN: MORE DATA
Journal Watch (General), February 27, 1996; 1996(227): 6 - 6.
[Full Text]