Many parents don't think twice about putting their baby into a shopping cart when they go shopping After it all, it is convenient. And until your child is walking and following instructions, it can seem like the only to get anything done while shopping with your kids.
Letting your child ride in a shopping cart is dangerous though. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that about 24,000 kids a year are treated in hospital emergency rooms because of shopping cart-related injuries.
In fact, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "falls from shopping carts are among the leading causes of head injuries to young children."
Can't you just attach your baby's infant carrier to the shopping cart's basket? That actually can make the shopping cart even more top heavy and more likely to tip over.
To keep your kids safe when shopping and while around shopping carts it can help to:
- avoid shopping carts and use a stroller or wear your baby instead in a carrier or wrap
- try and shop when someone else can watch your kids so that you don't have to bring them with you, or bring someone with you to watch your kids while you shop
- use the cart's seat belts and don't let your child ride in the basket or on the outside of the cart if you must use a shopping cart
- look for shopping carts that are designed for kids, like ones with an attached model car
You should especially avoid using shopping carts if you have more than one child with you. Many shopping cart injuries occur when an older sibling is trying to get on the outside or push a cart that already has a younger sibling riding in it, causing it to tip over.
Sources: AAP Policy Statement. Shopping Cart Related Injuries to Children. PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 2 August 2006, pp. 825-827. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Shopping Cart Safety Alert.
