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Are you used to putting your child in the shopping cart seat during your shopping? There are several precautions to take in this case that you may not think about, according to one doctor.
The little seats built into shopping carts seem like a good idea for organized parents: they allow you to do your shopping without having to push a stroller, or manage a toddler running between the shelves. But this practical option is not without danger, as a doctor reminds us on TikTok. It even exposes your child to two risks in particular.
A risk of falling and head trauma
The first risk is quite well known: this high seat without real safety exposes the child to the risk of falling, if he is not seated correctly, if he wants to get up, or bend over to grab an item. Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus (Ohio) also conducted a study in 2013 revealing that in the United States, an average of 66 cases of falling shopping carts were recorded by the country’s emergency services (i.e. 24 000 per year!). And in 78% of cases, the children were injured in the head, or even victims of head trauma. Accidents which mainly concern children under 4 years old.
Bacteria in your hands
The second risk is less known to parents, although it remains annoying, since it is a hygiene concern. Indeed, as the doctor explains, the bar of the shopping cart which is in front of the child is touched by all the passing hands during the day. Hands that are not always clean, and present a bacterial risk. Several researchers have also taken bacteriological samples from the handles of shopping carts. And the result is not really reassuring: “In most cases, fecal bacteria were found, such asEscherichia coli, who may be responsible for gastroenteritisor even sepsis in children“, specifies the doctor.
Shopping safely
If this is not to prevent you from shopping with your children, knowing these risks can give you tips for safe shopping:
- Clean the shopping cart bar before installing your child;
- Make sure it is well positioned;
- Always stay close to your children, never leave them alone in the shopping cart;
- Don’t let the child put the bar in his mouth either;
- Wash your hands and those of your child after returning from shopping.
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