Nursery Items Associated with >62K Injuries and >94 Deaths a Year

There were an estimated 62,300 injuries in 2016 among children younger than 5 years old and associated with nursery products. That is according to data made available December 19 by CPSC (bit.ly/2E8CH0r). The agency additionally reported that for 2012-2014 it knew of 284 deaths. That is a bit more than 94 deaths per year. Product categories involved in the injury estimates and death counts included:

• Injuries: Highchairs (13,400), cribs/mattresses (11,300), strollers/carriages (10,000), infant carriers excluding motor vehicle incidents (9,000), changing tables (3,900), gates/barriers (2,900), portable swings (2,800), bouncer seats (2,200), walkers/jumpers/exercises (2,200), and playpens/ yards (1,700). Some 2,000 products were in the "other" category that included pacifiers/teething rings, diapers (excluding rashes), rattles, nightlights, potty chairs/training seats, baby scales, crib mobiles, harnesses, and safety pins. On the other hand, CPSC listed three categories outside of "other" but did not give estimates, saying known incidents did not meet thresholds for calculation: bottles/warmers/ sterilizers, bassinets/cradles, baths/bath seats/bathinettes.

 

• Deaths: Cribs/mattresses (109), bassinets/cradles (53), playpens/play yards (47), carriers excluding motor vehicle incidents (24), bouncer seats (10), baths/bath seats/bathinettes (8), strollers/carriages (6), portable swings (5), gates/barriers (2), highchairs (2), and changing tables (1). CPSC also included baby/walkers/jumpers/exercisers but listed zero deaths. Additionally, inclusion in "other" did not indicate fewer deaths. Those broke down as inclined sleepers (6), cloth-covered shared-sleep products (3), toddler beds (2), bedside sleepers (1), portable youth bedrail (1), collapsible fabric travel bed (1), non-bathing seat used in a tub (1), pacifier (1), and children's chair (1).

For deaths, CPSC also noted some hazard patterns:

• Cribs: Most deaths involved cluttered environments and asphyxiation. Others: wedging and extra mattresses/cushions, strangulation and cords, plastic bags and suffocation, and incomplete assembly and "a range of hazards."

 

• Bassinets/Cradles: Most involved extra bedding, including "many" associated with pillows. Others were linked to product failures and unspecified "hazardous surroundings."

 

• Playpens/Play Yards: The majority involved suffocation and use of blankets, pillows or other soft bedding. Others were linked to "hazardous environments" like improvised covers, easy access to cords, and "use of ill-fitting, non-original mattresses and sofa cushions." CPSC noted, "A few of the fatalities involved faulty products."

 

• Carriers: "Hazardous manner of placement" was the most common scenario. Examples included an unsupervised and unrestrained baby "often on top of a blanket/pillow/ other soft bedding"; partial restraint with just shoulder straps; and improper positioning against a caregiver.

 

• Bouncers: CPSC did not designate one the most common but mentioned infants rolling to prone positions, tipping due to placement on soft surfaces, and falls.