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Baby Gear Dangers

Cribs, car seats, strollers: They make life easier, but nearly 60,000 children are injured by them and other gear every year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Here are a few simple fixes to help protect your child.
by Molly Lyons

Car seats and carriers

14,000 injuries a year

Surprisingly, this number doesn't even include kids injured in crashes who were sitting in incorrectly installed car seats. That's right -- thousands of children are hurt each year in car seats that aren't even in the car, almost always by falls and tip-overs. Carriers pose the same risks.

To keep your child safe:

Don't put infant car seats or carriers on high surfaces (such as tables or counters) or a bed, sofa, or other soft surface, where they can easily tip over. Keep the car seat or carrier on the floor instead.

Make sure the arm of the seat or carrier is locked into place and that your baby is secure in the safety belts before picking up the carrier.

To be certain your child's car seat is also used correctly in the car, check out our car-seat safety guide.

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