Every year, thousands of children are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for falls from shopping carts. Falls from shopping carts are among the leading causes of head injuries to young children. Injuries result when children climb or fall out of shopping carts because the restraint system was not being used, children unbuckled or wiggled out of the restraint, or the restraint was missing. Falls from shopping carts most often occur when children stand up in the child seat or the cart basket.

CPSC staff estimates that an annual average of about 17,300 children ages five and under are treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for falls from shopping carts. Injuries range from minor abrasions to concussions.

CPSC worked with industry to raise awareness to parents and caregivers about the hazards associated with shopping carts including educational materials and a shopping cart seat belt discount program for retailers. The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) participated in distributing these materials to over 1,300 member supermarket companies.

In July 2004 a voluntary standard for shopping carts was published. This standard addresses performance requirements for restraint systems and labeling requirements.

To prevent falls from shopping carts:

• Use seatbelts to restrain your child in the cart seat.
  
  
• Don't allow your child to ride in the cart basket.
  
  
• Don't allow your child to ride or climb on the sides or front of the cart.
  
  
• Don't allow an older child to push the cart with another child in it.