Dangers of High Chairs for Babies Near Table

Each twelvemonth, thousands of children are injured in high-chair-related accidents.

To prevent this, it's of import to accept sure safety precautions when using a high chair or booster seat.

Nosotros've done our inquiry and have spoken with safety experts to bring you everything you lot need to know to keep your child safe in their high chair.

Loftier Chair Injury Statistics
Common High Chair Injuries
What Are My Loftier Chair Choices?
Of import Safety Features
Staying Safe In A High Chair
The Bottom Line

High Chair Injury Statistics

Loftier chair injuries are on the rise. A 2013 study indicated that every hour, ane child is treated in a U.South. Emergency Room for such injuries ⁽¹⁾. That'southward 24 children every twenty-four hour period — a whopping ix,400 children each year.

Mutual High Chair Injuries

The biggest take a chance of injury when using a loftier chair is a fall. Over 90 percent of all loftier-chair-related injuries are due to falling ⁽ⁱⁱ⁾.

If a child were to autumn from a high chair, they could endure a number of injuries, including:

Head injury.
Concussion.
Neck injury.
Cuts.
Scrapes.
Broken Bones.
Rima oris injuries.
Cleaved teeth.

All the same, falls aren't the only injuries associated with high chairs.

Children can also exist injured by:

Choking on an detail left within achieve.
Burning themselves on hot nutrient or beverages close to them.
Cutting themselves with abrupt objects left inside achieve.
Toppling the high chair by pushing on the table with their feet.
Pinched fingers in latches or high chair joints.

What Are My High Chair Choices?

There are many high chair models available. While it's tempting to skip directly to a booster seat to relieve space or money, it'south wise to choose an age-advisable high chair for your child. This ensures information technology will see their unique concrete and developmental needs. Here are your choices.

Traditional High Chair – These chairs are standalone units with long legs, bringing your babe up to the level of your dining tabular array. They typically have a plastic seat, a harness, and a removable tray. They usually recline to prop upwards babies who are not quite ready to sit completely upright.
Space-Saving High Chair – These loftier chairs sit atop a regular chair and have straps that fasten around the chair to secure it. They differ from a booster seat because they have an adjustable reclining dorsum (for actress back up) and a removable tray. They tin can often be converted to a booster seat when your baby is older.
Hook-On High Chair – These petite and portable high chairs hook straight onto your dining table. They don't often have a tray or recline, merely most have a buckle or harness system. You should just utilize a hook-on high chair once your infant has a stable head, neck, and cadre control and can sit upright.
Booster Seat High Chair – These are backless, trayless seats designed to enable toddlers and older babies to sit on regular chairs at the tabular array. A booster seat raises a child's tiptop, then the table will be at the advisable height for them. Equally they do non have a five-betoken harness system, they are not advisable for younger babies.
Heirloom or Antique High Chair – Your parents or grandparents may have used these high chairs. They are sentimental, and probably await unique, also. However, prophylactic standards modify rapidly, and older high chairs don't have the same prophylactic features required on electric current chairs, then it may exist a adept idea to buy a new one.

Of import Safety Features

When purchasing a high chair, look for these rubber features.

Five-Point Harness – Only as in car seats, you'll also find v-point harness options in high chairs. The shoulder straps keep your infant's torso from falling forward and prevent your little one from wiggling out (as they may be able to in a waist-belt-only restraint system).
Wide Base – High chairs can become height heavy due to your child'south weight as they sit in them. To combat this, cull one with a wider base and a larger footprint. It may take up a lilliputian more than space in your house, but it is much safer.
Locking Wheels – If your loftier chair comes with wheels, ensure they can be locked to keep the chair from moving around when in use.
Metallic Joint Construction – Many high chairs have been recalled primarily due to plastic joints cracking ⁽³⁾. Choose a high chair with metal joint construction as it tends to be stronger than plastic.

Pro Tip

If your kid is a little Houdini who can un-latch the chest buckle on your five-indicate harness, tie a piece of fabric effectually it to prevent admission to the buckle.

Staying Safe In A High Chair

i. Look For A Wide Base

Choose a chair with a low centre of gravity so it won't tip hands. The wider the legs at the bottom, the more stable the chair will exist.

2. Secure Your High Chair

Before you place your baby in information technology, make certain your loftier chair will not motion. If it has wheels, lock them. For a infinite-saving high chair or booster seat, check to ensure it is strapped securely to the chair.

iii. Strap In

Cull a high chair with a five-point harness (not a 3-point harness or a elementary lap belt) for the utmost safety. For each use, ever strap them in and tighten the straps then they cannot jerk free.

4. No Standing in the Chair

Many falls happen when a baby or toddler stands in the high chair. Do not allow your kids exist in positions other than sitting in the loftier chair.

5. No High Chair Playtime

Do not allow children sit or be virtually their loftier chair aside from mealtimes. Kids tin topple the chair and injure themselves during playtime if they push or climb the high chair. Shop the loftier chair out of your kid's reach when non in utilize.

6. Position The Chair Out of Achieve

While y'all want your babe to participate in family unit mealtimes, be mindful of the potential hazards if they are positioned too shut. Make sure the high chair is far plenty away then their legs cannot reach to boot the table and topple the high chair.

7. Be Extra Careful with Hook-On High Chairs

Make certain the hooks can latch and lock securely onto the table when you purchase a hook-on loftier chair. If yous use a hook-on chair for travel, e'er brand sure the table is heavy and stable plenty to support your infant without tipping.

8. Await For Potential Hazards

Check for anything on the table within your child's attain, and either remove it or move your high chair further away. Examples include choking hazards, sharp objects, hot foods, or fifty-fifty a tablecloth your child could pull.

9. Always Supervise Your Infant

While they seem secure, never leave your baby unattended in a high chair. Choking is a silent blow and is quite common equally children are yet learning to eat. Ever put the baby into the chair or pull the baby out yourself. Never let children try to climb in or out of a high chair by themselves.

x. Make clean the High Chair Regularly

Food spills and infant saliva make the perfect environment for bacterial and fungal growth. Make certain you clean and disinfect the high chair regularly to prevent your fiddling one from getting ill.

xi. Check Periodically for Recalls

Infant items are recalled regularly for production failure or repeated accidents. Periodically, cheque the government website at Recalls.gov to ensure your high chair has not been recalled.

The Bottom Line

Every year, nearly 10,000 children are injured in accidents involving high chairs, well-nigh of them due to falls. Go on your kid safety by choosing an age-advisable high chair for your child with plenty of safety features. Always supervise your child at all times during use.

In recent years, the safety standards for loftier chairs have been updated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to include the post-obit ⁽⁴⁾:

More rearward stability.

A visible alarm characterization.

A permanent passive crotch restraint.

Editor's Note:

Dr. Po-Chang Hsu, Physician, MS

gilliammainst.blogspot.com

Source: https://momlovesbest.com/feeding/high-chairs/high-chair-safety