New Report Highlights Hidden Risks of Nursery Products
Each year, parents trust nursery products to help keep their babies and young children safe. Cribs, strollers, highchairs, bassinets, and infant carriers are fixtures in homes across the country, designed to support a child's earliest years. Yet a newly released report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) serves as a sobering reminder that when products fail – or when safety hazards go unnoticed – the consequences can be devastating.
The CPSC's Injuries and Deaths Associated with Nursery Products Among Children Younger than Age Five Report examines injuries and fatalities involving nursery products used by babies, toddlers, and preschool children. While not every incident was caused by a product defect, the findings underscore the importance of product safety, proper design, effective warnings, and continued oversight. For parents and caregivers, the report provides valuable insight into where risks remain. For manufacturers, it highlights the ongoing responsibility to ensure products meet the highest safety standards.
Key Findings from the Report:
- There were nearly 70,000 emergency room visits in one year: In 2024 alone, an estimated 70,000 children under the age of five were treated in emergency departments for injuries associated with nursery products. That equates to approximately 380 injuries for every 100,000 children in this age group.
- Four product categories accounted for most injuries: Highchairs, cribs and mattresses, infant carriers, and strollers/carriages were associated with 62 percent of all reported injuries.
- Falls were the leading cause of injury. This underscores the importance of proper restraints, stable product design, and close supervision. The head was the body part most frequently injured, and common diagnoses included internal injuries, bruises and abrasions, and lacerations.
- Hundreds of children died in nursery product-related incidents: The report documented 537 fatalities associated with nursery products during the three-year period from 2020 through 2022, an average of 179 deaths each year among children younger than five. Cribs and mattresses, bassinets and cradles, playpens and play yards, infant carriers, and baby bouncer seats were associated with 76 percent of these fatalities.
- Unsafe sleep hazards continue to pose serious risks: Many of the deaths involved hazards such as positional asphyxia, strangulation, and drowning. In some cases, the product itself contributed to the tragedy. In others, unsafe sleep environments, from pillows to loose bedding and squishy surfaces, played a role.
One encouraging development highlighted in the report was a significant decline in deaths linked to inclined sleepers. Following regulatory efforts that led to a federal ban on these products, reported fatalities decreased from 27 deaths in 2019 to just four in 2022.
When manufacturers fail to identify hazards, issue adequate warnings, or design products that meet appropriate safety standards, children can suffer serious and sometimes fatal injuries. Continued monitoring, regulation, product recalls, and consumer awareness remain critical to preventing future tragedies.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective nursery product or another unsafe consumer product, understanding your legal rights is an important first step. If you have a case you would like evaluaged by a top Philadelphia attorney for product liability cases, please contact us.