A class action investigation has been launched into alleged incidents of furniture injuries, relating to furniture tipping over and dangerous cribs reportedly causing injuries to infants and toddlers. According to the Center for Injury Research and Policy, allegedly dangerous cribs cause almost 10,000 emergency room visits for young children each year.

The problem of dangerous cribs is further explored in a recent study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The study had estimated that approximately one child every hour requires emergency medical attention due to injuries from dangerous cribs, playpens, or bassinets.

The study had collected emergency room injury reports from across the country for over 19 years, and is the first inquiry to analyze the potential problems of dangerous cribs in the United States. This study was spurred by millions of cribs and similar products being recalled from the market, after the federal government recently mandated that cribs meet new safety standards.

Overview of Injuries caused by Dangerous Cribs

The majority of the injuries in the study consisted of bruises and scrapes, but one in five children went to the emergency room with a concussion. In addition, 12 percent of these injuries consisted of fractures while another 14 percent were made up of laceration incidents.

According to the study, over 80 percent of the emergency room visits had involved crib defects, and two thirds of the injuries reportedly occurred from children falling out or tried to jump out of the crib.

These injury reports further stated that fifteen of these incidents occurred from falling side the crib, or hitting or being cut while on the inside of the crib. Approximately six percent of these injuries occurred from being wedged in the crib, but most of these injuries were not serious enough to be fatal.

Approximately one percent of the children died. Each instance of death was caused by becoming trapped or wedged in the crib and suffocated. The study further found that two thirds of the deaths occurred with babies under six months, which suggests there could be an increased risk with this age range.

This study was published online in the medical journal Pediatrics, with lead researcher and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy, Dr. Gary A. Smith, heading the study.

Dr. Smith noted that because only emergency room cases were reviewed, the number could be a lot higher due to unaccounted incidents treated by urgent care centers, private practice doctors, or families that did not seek out treatment.

This study has already gained praise from the federal government and industry representatives, for increasing awareness of dangerous cribs that can cause potentially fatal harm to children.

Several crib models and manufacturers have garnered negative attention for these injuries, resulting in a recall of over 11 million cribs in the United States. Furthermore, it was noted that drop side cribs were even riskier for infants and toddlers, reportedly causing 32 deaths since 2000.