September 29, 2022
We are writing to express our strong support for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) plan to adopt a mandatory standard for frame child carriers to improve safety by including more stringent requirements and test conditions.
The National Center for Health Research (NCHR) is a nonprofit think tank that conducts, analyzes, and scrutinizes research on a range of health issues, with particular focus on which prevention strategies and treatments are most effective for which patients and consumers. We do not accept funding from companies that make products that are the subject of our work, so we have no conflicts of interest.
According to a 2020 report, of deaths related to nursery products among children younger than five years old, 9% (32 deaths) were associated with some type of infant carrier between 2015 and 20171. In addition, 49 incidents involving frame child carriers were reported to CPSC between January 2003 and September 20142. This included 34 injuries and no deaths. Children suffered from closed-head injuries, bone fractures, dislocated arms, lacerations, and contusions3.
The Commission plans to make the revised voluntary standard become the mandatory standard. The new standard will improve the safety of frame child carriers by addressing the most common product-related hazards: stability and structural integrity. We believe the changes will help prevent the most common injuries associated with frame child carriers. We encourage the CPSC to continue using data collection and analysis to develop standards that promote public safety and protect vulnerable populations.
National Center for Health Research can be reached at info@center4research.org or at (202) 223-4000.
1. Chowdhury RT. Injuries and Deaths Associated with Nursery Products Among Children Younger than Age Five.; 2020:12. https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-
2. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Final Rule Safety Standard for Frame Child Carriers.; 2015. https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-
3. Niven C, Mathews B, Vallmuur K. Applying a public health approach to identify priorities for regulating child product safety. Aus NZ J of Public Health. 2022;46(2):142-148. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.13212