by John Gomez | Last Updated: March 14, 2017

There is perhaps nothing more exciting than expecting parents learning that they are expecting parents.  As such, they tend to take some immediate steps to prepare for that magical arrival.  Parents need to prepare themselves for the rigors of caring for a newborn.  They also need to go about acquiring things.  These things, such as nursery products, will make their jobs easier.  The expense associated with these items can quickly become problematic for many people.  That’s why so many expecting parents make use of several different avenues to acquire nursery products and other items.  These avenues include accepting hand-me-downs from family and friends and purchasing some products secondhand.  Unfortunately, a recent study serves as a warning to consumers in that nursery products in particular can be extremely dangerous.  The defective products attorneys at Gomez Trial Attorneys want to alert as many people as possible to this situation.

About the Nursery Products Study

Researchers at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital completed the study.  The research team reviewed data collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, or NEISS concerning the number of children injured by nursery products.  The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission, or CPSC, operates NEISS.  The data spanned from January of 1991 through December of 2011, or a period of 21 years.  The study led to the following findings:

• Nearly 1.4 million children under the age of 3 reported to emergency departments during the timeframe because of injuries related to nursery products.
• That equates to a rate of 56.29 injuries per 10,000 children in the United States.
• Between 1991 and 2003, the overall injury rate decreased by more than 33 percent.
• The decrease was due to fewer injuries relating to the use of baby walkers, jumpers and exerciser-related injuries.
• Between 2003 and 2011, the overall injury rate increased by nearly 25 percent.
• The increase was due to a marked spike in concussions and closed head injuries.

The researchers also noted the percentage of injuries that were tied to specific types of products, including:

• Baby carriers – 19.5 percent
• Cribs and mattresses – 18.6 percent
• Strollers and carriages – 16.5 percent
• Baby walkers, jumpers and exercisers – 16.2 percent

In addition, 80 percent of the injuries occurred because the child fell in some way.  Nearly half of all of the injuries involved the head and/or neck, which was more common than any other part of the body.

Nursery Products and the Frequency of Injuries

When breaking down the numbers, the results show the following:

• More than 66,000 young children need emergency room care every year.
• That equates to more than 182 children per day.
• Further, this equates to more than 7 children per hour.

Finally, this means that a child is injured badly enough to require emergency room care every 8 minutes in the United States.  This is extremely troubling for many different reasons, not the least of which is that we have largely been conditioned to trust the products we purchase in retail outlets.  Those interested in reading the entire study can find it here.

Data For Subsequent Years

The study discussed above will hopefully get the attention of parents around the country if not the world.  We should not assume that the nursery products we purchase are safe.  The consumers who actually use them – small children – are extremely vulnerable to harm and need every level of protection available.

Unfortunately, it seems that the number of injuries associated with using different nursery products remains extremely high.  The CPSC has continued to report these data.  According to the agency’s 2016 report that analyzes incidents from 2015, 65,800 children required trips to the emergency room for this reason that year.  It should be noted, however, that these data relate to children under the age of 5 instead of 3.  Below are the most common types of products associated with these injuries during that year:

• Cribs and mattresses – 12,100
• Infant carriers – 9,500
• Strollers and carriages – 11,200
• High chairs – 11,100
• Changing tables – 3,800
• Baby bouncer seats – 3,700
• Baby walkers, jumpers and exercisers – 3,200
• Play pens and play yards – 3,200
• Baby gates and barriers – 2,500
• Portable baby swings – 2,000

Those interested in reading the full report can find it here.  The ‘good’ news with these data is that the 65,800 injuries in 2015 is lower than the 69,300 that occurred in 2014 and lower than the 74,900 injuries that occurred in 2013.  Hopefully this signifies a downward trend that will continue well into the future.

What Parents Can Do

The information contained in this study and that which is available from the CPSC may alarm some new parents and some expecting parents.  Hopefully this information will prompt parents to assume nothing and to investigate everything.  Fortunately, there are ways to do that without investing a lot of time.  One of the first places to look for help when purchasing nursery products is a Web site that’s administered by the federal government.  Go to https://www.recalls.gov/ to search for products that have been recalled to find out if you’re about to purchase or have already purchased something that has been deemed dangerous.

In addition, parents can make sure to register the products that they purchase for their children.  Many people simply ignore those blank postcards that come with products, but new parents should fill those out and send them into the manufacturer.  This will make it much easier for parents to be updated on any recalls that are announced or any other problems that arise with products.

Finally, many consumers will purchase a new product and will not necessarily read through that product’s manual to make sure that they are using it properly.  While this may not be egregiously dangerous for some products meant for older people, it can create a serious amount of danger for small children.  Read through every product manual you purchase.  Doing so could alert you to something that needs to be done differently so that your child’s safety can be maximized.

How a Defective Products Lawyer Can Help

Even if new parents take all of these precautions, small children will still be injured or worse by defective products from time to time.  Parents whose children are harmed in this manner need to take action to help others avoid the same situation.  If your child has been injured by a product, you need to seek the help of a defective products lawyer who understands what it takes to stand up for the rights of consumers.  Contact Gomez Trial Attorneys today for a free case evaluation.

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