But a few common-sense tips should help keep your child safe
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A disturbing new study suggests that high chairs can be far more hazardous to a child’s health than anyone previously suspected. According to Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, an average of one child per hour is treated for high-chair related head injuries, somewhere in America, a 90 percent increase over the last eight years.
Smith published his results in a study appearing in the latest issue of Clinical Pediatrics. He spoke to Consumer Affairs and gave us a thumbnail version of his findings.
The first thing we wondered is: if there’s been a sharp increase in injuries from children falling from high chairs, does this suggest a problem with the furniture itself, or are people using it incorrectly? “That’s a good question, but even with all the data available, we couldn’t determine a good answer,” said Smith. “In many cases, there simply wasn’t enough data to draw a conclusion.”
But here’s what Smith does know: over the past years there have been millions of high chairs recalled, but "unfortunately, millions more remain in circulation." Even high chairs that haven’t been recalled can still lead to injury. “One problem that often came up was that the child managed to wiggle out of the [high chair’s] restraints, or the restraints weren’t used.”
Smith said some parents believe restraints are not necessary since the high chair’s tray will hold a child in place, but that is absolutely not true. “The take-home lesson for parents is that restraints must be used every time. The tray will not keep [a child] in the seat …. that’s not what the tray is there for.”
Much worse injuries
Infants or toddlers who fall from high chairs tend to suffer much worse injuries than older kids or adults who have similar falls, for three reasons: one, young children have relatively large heads compared to their bodies, which gives them a much higher center of gravity than older people. “One reason we’re concerned is that children in high chairs, falling from an elevated height, typically fall head-first,” Smith said. Also, their arms generally aren’t strong enough to break their fall, so they’re vastly more likely to land directly on their heads. Finally, high chairs are most commonly used in kitchens, which tend to have much harder floors than other, carpeted, rooms in the house.
So what’s a concerned parent to do? “First, make sure your chair hasn’t been recalled,” said Smith. “Check recalls.gov to see if it’s listed. Unfortunately, in this country, we really have a dismal return rate [for recalled children’s products]. We’re lucky to see a 20 percent return rate after a recall … parents just don’t know.”
Many budget-conscious people, especially in today’s economy, save money by buying things secondhand. But are secondhand high chairs too dangerous to trust? “Secondhand or hand-me-down is fine, but check the recall list,” Smith stressed. “Nothing with broken parts.”
Parents should also check high chairs, or the boxes they come in, to see if it has a sticker from the JPMA — Juvenile Product Manufacturers’ Association. (However, even if you find a JPMA sticker, you still need to check and ensure the chair isn’t listed on the government’s recall site.)
There are other things parents can look for, too. “Check for chairs with wider bases, which tend to be more stable. Consider the age and size of the child—some chairs are for infants, others for toddlers. Convertible high chairs work for both, but tend to be more expensive.”
You should also consider what sort of restraint system a high chair has. Most high chairs use either three-point or five-point restraints. “Five points is better, but that doesn’t mean three points are unsafe,” said Smith. Also, some high chairs are equipped with a bar that fits beneath the tray and between the child’s legs, to prevent the child from squirming out beneath the tray. And, of course, children in high chairs must never be left unsupervised.