Parents warned on carrying children in trolleys

PARENTS are being urged to think twice before using a shopping trolley to carry a small child after a study revealed the dangers involved.

The study also warns that many trolley-related injuries are also life-threatening because children have fallen from a height onto a hard surface.

It found that fractures and injuries to the head and neck accounted for some of the most common injuries.

Children have been injured after becoming trapped in trolleys, or falling off while riding on the outside or while standing up inside the basket.

The study also found that because some trolleys are designed with a high centre of gravity they were more prone to tipping over even when children were properly placed in the seating area.

The American Academy of Paediatrics study found that 24,000 children were treated for a shopping trolley-related injury in the United States last year.

Paediatrics consultant Dr Peter Keenan, who works in the accident and emergency department at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin, said he had dealt with a number of injuries sustained by children while they were being carried in trolleys. He urged supermarkets to ensure trolleys were well maintained and made as safe as possible. “It is a wonder that we do not see more injuries caused by trolleys considering the risks that some children are being exposed to while being carried in them. You only have to push a trolley to realise that,” said Dr Keenan.

A spokesperson for Tesco said the child and baby seats in their trolleys were designed with safety in mind and, when used correctly, were safe to use.

“When children are properly seated, mishaps are rare,” the spokesperson said.

The supermarket chain pointed out that their baby seats include harnesses and instructions on the correct weight allowances.