Nursery Products Could Pose Unexpected Risks For Young Children, Study Shows

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A new study shows that young children are getting injured while using potentially dangerous baby products at an alarming rate.

Mother of two Brittany Gowday researched the safest and most reliable nursery products for her first child, so she knew the importance of carefully considering safety when selecting products for her second baby.

"Honestly you can't really get through watching the news or scrolling my Facebook feed without coming across a safety article," she tells CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez.

It's no wonder parents worry, nursery products are recalled more than any other children's product category.

"As parents we assume the products that are available for our children are safe," Tracy Mehan of Nationwide Children's Hospital said. "Unfortunately, that's not always true."

In fact, a new study in the journal of pediatrics finds about 66,000 kids under the age of three go to the emergency room every year with injuries involving a child product. Researchers at the center for injury research and policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital found the top products associated with injuries are baby carriers, cribs, and strollers. Overall injuries are up 24 percent, mostly from falls.

"About 80 percent of the injuries are to the head, face, or neck," Mehan said. "So these can be pretty serious."

Experts say it's important to make sure children are always strapped into a carrier or stroller so they can't climb out. Mehan also says to avoid putting anything heavy on the back of a stroller, like a bag or a purse.

With a new recall of a nursery product issued about every two weeks, experts add that manufacturers need to do a better job of alerting parents when there's an issue.

"Up to 80 percent of children's products remain in consumer households after a recall, and that's simply unacceptable, and we can do better," Dr. Gary Smith from the Nationwide Children's Hospital said.

In the end, it's most important for parents to do their research, check for recalls, register their products, and read the manual.