An alarming number of tricycle-related injuries were recorded from hospitals all over the U.S. over the years. Around 5,000 tricycle-related accidents, and even some deaths, are being recorded annually, most of which involve children who are two years old and above.
According to a study by researchers from the Medical College of Georgia and Emory University, hospitals all over the country received more than 9,000 tricycle-related injury cases in 2012 and 2013, giving an average of nearly 5,000 annually.
In the study, two-year-old children were the ones most likely to get injured, followed by three-year-olds and one-year-olds. The most common injuries reported were lacerations and wounds, comprising 2,637 of the cases, and the most common part to be hurt is the head.
Over the two-year scope of the study, only 224 patients had injuries that required hospitalization while the rest were able to go home after treatment. Although serious injuries were rare, deaths related to tricycle-caused injuries rose to become the most common cause of toy-related deaths in 2012.
Most of these deaths were caused by children falling into swimming pools while playing unsupervised or due to a severe head injury. Other serious consequences of tricycle-related accidents were amputation, internal organ injury and fractures, most commonly in the arms.
The database, however, only contained statistics on the number of accidents reported in hospitals.
"The database didn't include crucial information like whether children were supervised at the time of injury, or if they were wearing protective equipment," Sean Bandzar, one of the researchers and a student of the Medical College of Georgia, stated.
However, Bandzar believed that the use of helmets, elbow pads and knee pads could help prevent many of the injuries.
"The environment in which children ride their tricycles should be free of pathways leading to sources of water," said Bandzar. "In addition, parents should supervise all children riding tricycles."
Modifications to how tricycles are made to minimize occurrence of injuries should also be considered by manufacturers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advise parents not to leave children unattended during play, ensuring the use of proper protective equipment and keeping children away from busy roads and open swimming pools. They also advise that children be prevented from riding tricycles until they are at least three years old.
