STROLLER SAFETY

Objective: To assess the incidence and type of stroller injuries in South Australia and factors contributing to their occurrence. Design: Retrospective review of South Australian Health Commission Injury Surveillance data for Adelaide Children's Hospital, Modbury Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (1986-1992); a prospective survey of 150 stroller users in three metropolitan shopping malls; and testing of backward tipping using loads determined by the AS/NZS 2088 standard. Results: One hundred and forty-nine attendances for unintentional injury resulted from infants either falling out of strollers and prams, or from entrapment of digits in strollers. Eleven infants (7.4%) required admission. One hundred and five injuries (70%) occurred between nine and 15 months of age. Eighty-nine (60%) involved either head/facial/dental injuries or concussion. The survey showed that only 14 strollers (9%) were used correctly (children appropriately harnessed and no shopping on the handles). Five strollers tipped over while carrying an 8 kg load when a 5 kg weighted shopping bag was placed on their handles. One stroller tipped over when a weight of 2 kg was applied at the handle on a 12-degrees ramp with an 8 kg load. Only 11 of the 23 strollers commercially available in Adelaide in October 1992 carried the non-mandatory stroller standard. Conclusion: Stroller accidents are a common source of injury and usually result from incorrect use. The stroller standard should be made mandatory and revised to include a shoulder harness, lower the centre of gravity and provide shopping storage.