Toddler

Colleen Reid and her husband, Lenny, were at an outdoor festival, listening to a band. It was a coolish fall evening, so she’d dressed one-year-old Bernadette in a snowsuit before putting her in the stroller.

“I reclined the stroller so she could fall asleep — she was pretty tired,” Reid explains. “I didn’t belt her in because she had the snowsuit on and I would have had to adjust the whole harness.” She and Lenny watched the band perform while she gently pushed the stroller back and forth behind her.

“Then a lady behind us screamed, ‘Your baby is in the gutter!’” recalls Reid. “I turned around and I was horrified to see that Bernadette had fallen out of the stroller and was lying in the gutter alongside the curb, face down.” Thanks to the padding of the snowsuit, she wasn’t hurt and didn’t even cry out, but Reid felt sick when she thought about what might have happened had Bernadette’s head struck the curb or pavement.

Laveena Sethia, injury prevention information specialist with Safe Kids Canada, says that more than 250 children are seen in hospital emergency rooms in Canada each year after suffering stroller-related injuries. “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” she says, noting that many minor injuries will be treated at home or by family doctors. Most of these accidents were the fault of adults who forgot to strap their child in, or who hung so many bags or coats on the stroller handles that the whole thing tipped over.

Many such accidents can be prevented by following some stroller safety basics. Sethia says the essentials are:

• Always use the parking brake when putting a child in or taking him out.
• Always use the seatbelt or harness, plus a helmet if going out with a jogging stroller.
• Remember that heat can build up inside the stroller if it has a canopy and sides, so keep an eye on your child to see if she’s getting too warm.
• Don’t hang heavy purses, bags or coats over the handles — tuck them into the basket under the seat instead.
• Never leave your child unattended in the stroller.
The other side of stroller safety is getting the right one in the first place. Here are some buyers’ guidelines:

• Check the manufacturer’s height and weight recommendations, especially if your toddler is bigger than average.
• Look for a stroller harness with a strap that goes around your child’s waist and another that goes between his legs. A five-point harness, which includes straps over the shoulder, is even better. Make sure the lap belt or harness is solidly attached to the frame of the stroller.
• Evaluate the stroller’s stability. A wider base is less likely to tip over. The lightweight umbrella strollers are less stable than full-size strollers, but even in that group, there are variations.
• Make sure the brakes work and are easy to use.
• Be sure the stroller locks easily and securely into the open position so that it doesn’t fold up with your toddler inside.
• Look for an under-the-seat basket where you can tuck your purse, diaper bag or a jacket. This will reduce the temptation to hang things over the back.
• Opt for a stroller with a canopy to help protect your child from the sun.
• Be careful when buying second-hand strollers. Check with the manufacturer for recalls on that model, and examine the stroller thoroughly for sharp edges, wheels that are coming loose, etc.
If you are buying a jogging stroller, Sethia advises taking extra precautions. “These are very convenient ways for parents to stay active when they have small children,” she notes, “but there are some important safety considerations.”

Jogging strollers should not be used for babies younger than 12 months because the ride is too jarring for an infant’s developing spine. Choose one with a deep seat, five-point harness and a wrist strap that keeps the stroller attached to you. Toddlers in jogging strollers should always wear a properly fitted certified bicycle helmet.

“A stroller is a great product for transporting toddlers,” Sethia comments, “but it’s up to parents to make sure they are used safely.”

Originally published in Today's Parent, September 2003