The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is advising parents not to place children in shopping carts until they are redesigned and made safer for children.

The AAP says shopping cart related injuries are common, some of which result in serious injury and/or death.

Nearly three-quarters of all injuries were to the head and neck, nearly 4% of all children treated in an emergency room for a cart related injury were under 5.

The AAP says that as it is hard for parents to decide whether a cart is safe or not just by looking at it, they could try one of the following alternatives to placing the child in the cart:

- Bring another adult along to look after the child while the shopping is being done.

- Place the child in a stroller, wagon or frontpack instead

- If the child is older and can walk, praise him/her while he walks and behaves

- Leave the child at home with an adult

- Try shopping online

The AAP says children should be secured in a cart with an effective age-and-size-appropriate belt or harness.

The adult should not:

- Leave the child unattended in the cart

- Let the child stand up in the cart

- Put an infant carrier on top of the cart

- Allow the child to ride in the basket

- Let the child ride on the outside of the cart

- Let the child climb onto the cart

- Let one child push the cart while another child is in it

The AAP is asking retail establishments to adopt shopping cart safety strategies. Businesses could also help by offering a supervised in-store play area, help in bringing the shopping to a vehicle, cart modifications, strollers and/or wagons for use in the store, and warnings on cart dangers.

The AAP would also like to see current safety standards revised to include clear and effective performance criteria for child safety - this should be closely monitored by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Source: Medical News Today