NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An estimated 69,500 children under 5 years of age were injured due to products such as cribs, car seats and strollers in the US in 2001, a slight increase from the year 2000, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission ( news - web sites) (CPSC).
The number of injuries increased by 400, from 69,100 in the year 2000, a result of an increase in injuries associated with infant carriers and car seats, strollers and carriages, and baby gates.
Injuries resulting from all other types of baby products in this category--including cribs, high chairs, baby walkers and jumpers, changing tables, playpens and play yards and baby bath seats--remained stable or decreased from the years 2000 to 2001, according to the report.
The most common cause of injuries associated with such products were falls. Most of the injuries stemmed from infant carriers and car seats, followed by strollers and carriages, and then by cribs. None of the injuries linked to car seats and carriers were associated with motor vehicle accidents.
The overall rate of injuries from baby products that landed children under 5 in the emergency department is down from 1997, the report notes, a year that produced 71,400 reports of similar injuries.
Between 1997 and 1999, CPSC received reports of 195 deaths associated with such baby products. Most of the deaths involved cribs, followed by playpens and play yards.
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