Each
year, thousands of children are treated in hospital emergency rooms
for injuries associated with high chairs. Deaths also occur. The majority
of the injuries result from falls when restraining straps are not
used and when children are not closely supervised. The majority of
deaths occurred when children slipped down under the tray and strangled.
Most often, these children were either unrestrained or were restrained
only by a waist belt.
To help prevent injuries and deaths, high chairs should have a waist
strap and a strap that runs between the legs. While in the high chair,
children should ALWAYS be restrained by both straps. The tray should
not be used as a restraining device in place of the straps.
Without these two straps, children can stand in the chair seat and
topple from the chair, or slide under the tray and strangle on the
waist strap or when their heads become trapped between the tray and
the chair seat.
Other accidents occur when the chair tips over. High chairs may tip
if an active child pushes off from a table or wall, stands up in the
high chair, or rocks it back and forth. |
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If You're Buying a New High Chair |
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1.
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Select
one that has a wide base for stability.
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| 2. |
Examine
the restraining straps to ensure that the waist belt has a buckle
that cannot be fastened unless the crotch strap is also used. |
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| 3. |
Since
the restraining straps must be used every time a child is placed in
the chair, look for straps that are easy to use. If the straps are
difficult to fasten, you might not use them. |
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| 4. |
Consider
a high chair that has a post between the child's legs to prevent the
child from slipping down and becoming trapped under the tray |
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If You Already Have a High Chair or Are Buying One Secondhand |
| 1. |
Check
the condition of straps and their attachments to make sure they are
securely attached and work properly. |
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| 2. |
If
the high chair does not have adequate safety straps, contact the manufacturer
for replacement. |
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Some
Safety Tips
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| 1. |
ALWAYS
USE ALL RESTRAINING STRAPS PROVIDED. The crotch strap and belt around
the waist should be fastened as soon as a child is placed in the chair
and unfastened only when the child is removed. Remember, the feeding
tray is not a restraint. Only safety straps keep the child from climbing
out or sliding down and strangling. |
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| 2. |
Be
sure that the locking device on a folding high chair is locked each
time you set up the chair. |
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| 3. |
Never
allow a child to stand up in a high chair. |
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| 4. |
Don't
stray too far from the high chair - especially if the child has shown
an ability to unfasten safety straps. |
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| 5. |
Keep
the high chair far enough away from a table, counter, wall, or other
surface so that a child can't use them to push off. |
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| 6. |
Don't
let children play around a high chair or climb into it unassisted.
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| 7. |
Don't
let older children hang on to a high chair while a baby is in it.
The high chair could tip over. |
| 10. |
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