You’d think a high chair would be safe for your child. But from what I’ve seen in my practice, and from the findings of this new study, there’s an alarming increase in the number of high chair and booster seat injuries.

Most of the accidents are falls, and most involve head injuries or some kind of

injury to the face or the neck. These include bruises, cuts or concussions.

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus looked at high chair accidents involving children age 3 and under. They found about two-thirds of the

accidents happen when the child stands up in the chair.

The 22 percent increase is significant. The number may reflect having a large

number of unsafe chairs in use. But it may also reflect that parents are not using

the restraints, or using them effectively.

7 safety tips for high chairs

The best way to keep your child safe is to use the restraints that come with the

chair. Use the 3-point or 5-point harness system that should be included. That

includes the crotch strap secured well, so your child is sitting snugly and not

wriggling around in the chair.

Six more high chair safety tips:

1) Establish a routine of using the high chair only for sitting for meals; do not let

it be used for playtime

2) Use the restraint system that comes with the chair— the lap table is not an

effective restraint

3) Don’t leave your child unattended in the high chair 4) Don’t allow them to stand or climb in the chair 5) Though standing and falling from the chair is the most common form of

injury, make sure it is far enough away from countertops and tables so kids can’t use their legs to push the chair over

6) Before and after buying a high chair or toys, periodically check for recalls

7) There are also numerous emergency room visits per year for falls from regular

chairs. As with high chairs, don’t let your children stand or play on chairs, or use them as ladders to reach high things.

Furniture safety for small children

Standing on or climbing on furniture is unsafe. It can tip or topple over, kids can

fall onto hard surfaces and objects — and heavy object (like TVs) can fall onto

them.

Overall, kids need to be watched while playing when younger and taught

boundaries of what is safe at the early stage of their development, so when they

are older they can play safely.