Editor—Moses baskets are commonly used items in households around the country. Some are fitted with carrying handles. Within two months in 2000 we encountered three cases of babies falling out of such baskets after an unintentional slip of the handles; two of these cases resulted in skull fractures. A possible diagnosis of non-accidental injury was ruled out.
Close inspection of the Moses baskets showed that the handles did not seem long enough to meet in the middle (figure). This means that a tighter grip around the handles is needed, which increases the risk of an unintentional slip. The British Standards Institute has published guidelines on safety requirements on carrycots and stands but no specific standards on the length of handles have been defined.1 As a result of our correspondence, the British Baby Products Association has promised to raise the matter with CEN, the European Committee for Standardisation, where BS EN 1466:1998 is currently under review.
A literature search using Medline and the library of the Child Accident Prevention Trust did not identify any previously published reports about incidents involving Moses baskets. Several manufacturers did not seem to be aware of the problem. Nevertheless, a computer search of the home accident surveillance system, which is part of the Department of Trade and Industry, shows 24 reported cases in 10 years that were of a similar nature to ours. Taking into account that this database includes only reported cases and monitors only a fraction of the hospitals in the country, it is reasonable to assume that the real incidence of incidents involving Moses baskets may be much higher.
Most of the incidents involving a baby carrier will not result in any harm, especially as the babies concerned usually fall from a low height. Earlier this year a community based study showed an incidence of 22% of falls of all types in premobile infants, with serious injuries occurring in less than 1%.2 By far the commonest site of injury seemed to be the head.
Our cases highlight the importance of raising awareness of parents, health professionals, and manufacturers of the potential health risks that Moses baskets can pose to babies.
Figure.
One of the Moses baskets involved in the three cases reported here, highlighting the distance between both handles when loosely put together in the middle
Footnotes
Competing interests: None declared.
References
- 1.British Standards Institute. Child care articles. Carry cots and stands. Safety requirements and tests. London: BSI; 1998. . (BS EN 1466.) [Google Scholar]
- 2.Warrington SA, Wright CM ALSPAC Study Team. Accidents and resulting injuries in premobile infants: data from the ALSPAC study. Arch Dis Child. 2001;85:104–107. doi: 10.1136/adc.85.2.104. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]