Mom's Warning On Putting Car Seats In The Shopping Cart

The Danger Of Car Seats In Shopping Carts

One Ohio mom, Lindsey Wisnewski, received a wonderful blessing while out shopping with her children. When the the shopping cart holding her infant's car seat toppled over, something very bad could have happened. . .but it didn't. And now, she's using her close call to warn other parents of the common, yet dangerous practice of strapping car seats onto shopping carts.

Here is Lindsey's harrowing tale, which she shared on Facebook. . .

Credit: Facebook / Lindsey Wisnewski

"So this just happened. I was strapping my preschooler into his car seat and the wind slightly caught one wheel and the weight of the infant car seat pulled the whole thing down over the curb. No worries~~ I was wearing A in my baby carrier so she was not in the car seat at the time (which is the only reason I had it up there in the first place).

Please, please, please parents do not put the carseat on the top part of the cart! Any car seat technician will tell you that it's extremely unsafe. I post this PSA without judgement, as I myself did this with both boys. Up until about 2 years ago, I thought the seat was safe since it clicks into place. But the car seat in the picture was "locked" into place.

(And sure, had my baby actually been in the seat, I wouldn't have left it unattended. But accidents happen in the blink of an eye)."

RELATED: Dad Shares Photos Of His Baby's Toe To Warn Others Of This DANGER!

Thank the Lord that Lindsey's baby girl was strapped in a carrier to her mama instead of in the shopping cart! Despite the many serious, and sometimes even fatal, injuries resulting from children's car seats in shopping carts, many parents are completely unaware of the risk. Thankfully, Lindsey's shocking photo is helping to get the word out about just how dangerous this practice is.

For parents of children who are too young to sit upright in a shopping cart seat, Nationwide Children's -- a pediatric health care and research center, recommends either leaving the child at home with an adult, or else using a stroller or wagon to transport the baby around the store, versus using a shopping cart.

Credit: ThinkStock

For older children, the shopping cart seat should be used, along with the following safety guidelines:

- Use a cart that has a child seat that is low to the ground, if one is available.

- Choose carts that appear stable and are not wobbly.

- Always use the shopping cart safety straps. Be sure the belt fits snugly around your child and that the child’s legs are placed through the leg openings.

- Avoid placing infant carriers on top of shopping carts. If your child is not old enough to sit upright by himself in the shopping cart seat, consider using one of the alternatives to shopping carts.