EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SHOPPING CART-RELATED INJURIES TO CHILDREN - AN ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL DATA FOR 1990 TO 1992

Objective: To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of shopping c art-related injuries among children in the United States. Design: A re trospective analysis of data from the National Electronic Injury Surve illance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for 1990 t o 1992. Results: An estimated 75 200 shopping cart-related injuries oc curred in children younger than 15 years treated in US emergency depar tments during 1990 to 1992 (95% confidence interval, 57 500 to 92 900) . Children younger than 5 years were at highest risk, accounting for 6 3 200 (84%) of the injuries. A 20% increase was observed in the number of injuries among 0- to 4-year-old children from 1990 to 1992. Fifty- three percent of injured children were male. The head and neck region was the most common anatomic site of injury, accounting for 74% of inj uries among children younger than 15 years. An estimated 2000 children (2.7%) younger than 15 years required hospital admission (1.2% in 199 0 compared with 3.5% in 1992). Children aged 0 to 4 years accounted fo r 93% of these hospital admissions. Among 0- to 14-year-old children, fractures accounted for 45% of hospital admissions, followed by intern al injury (22%) and concussion (17%). Conclusions: Injuries related to shopping carts are an important cause of pediatric morbidity, especia lly among children younger than 5 years. These injuries can also resul t in death. Shopping carts should be redesigned to decrease the risk o f injury to children, and transportation of children in shopping carts of current design should be prohibited.