10 Mistakes New Parents Make That Could Put a Baby’s Life in Danger

Placing the infant carrier on top of shopping carts

Parents of infants often struggle to find ways to run errands with their baby. Should they bring a stroller or wear the baby in a carrier? It turns out either of these options is much safer than what many moms mistakenly do: balancing the infant carrier on top of a shopping cart. In 2011, a three-month-old boy died from injuries he suffered in a fall after his mother placed his carrier on top of a cart. Shopping carts are not constructed to restrain an infant carrier, and mothers mistakenly assume that because a carrier fits over the front part of the cart, it is a safe option. Mothers should wear their child in a carrier, or bring along a stroller, but they should never balance the infant seat on a cart. If you must use the cart as a place for your infant carrier, place the baby inside the cart where items are held, as it is the only safe option.