Portable Baby Swings (for Home Use)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Nursery & Baby Products · CPSC Code 1553
Down 12% over 5 years
The verdict
Portable Baby Swings (for Home Use) carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,569 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 12% over the last five years.
- 38/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,569
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 5.5%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1553 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 38/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for portable baby swings (for home use) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,569 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)5.5%
- Fatality rate0.40%
- 5-year trend-12%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Portable Baby Swings (for Home Use) (CPSC product code 1553, in the Nursery & Baby Products category) generate an estimated 2,569 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 51,380 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 12% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2016 (4,206 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (1,137 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for portable baby swings (for home use) is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 22,601 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the not stated/unk (4,939 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 46,797 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 5.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.40%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 119 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how portable baby swings (for home use) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 24,768 | 22,029 | |
| 5-14 | 517 | 284 | |
| 15-24 | 88 | 966 | |
| 25-34 | 235 | 1,161 | |
| 35-44 | 154 | 305 | |
| 45-54 | 15 | 498 | |
| 55-64 | 0 | 175 | |
| 65-74 | 16 | 175 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Not Stated/unk | Other | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Fracture | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Face | Hematoma | |
| Head | Hematoma | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
4YOM BROUGHT TO THE ER BY MOTHER FOR CONCERN OF SCRATCH OVER HIS LEFT EYE. HE WAS PLAYING AT HOME AND RAN INTO A BABY SWING AND GOT A SMALL LACERATION ABOVE HIS EYE. DX: LACERATION, LEFT EYE.
1 MOF WAS BEING PICKED UP OUT OF A SWING WHEN HER RIGHT ARM WAS CAUGHT IN THE STRAP OF THE SWING AND DAD HEARD A POP. DX: DISPLACED SPIRAL FRACTURE SHAFT OF RIGHT HUMERUS.
2 MOM FELL FROM SWING DX; NORMAL EXAM
3MOM FELL OUT OF A BABY SWING TO THE FLOOR ONTO HEAD DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
5 MOF IN BABY SWING FELL OUT ONTO FLOOR DX INJURY HEAD
1MOM PATIENT WAS IN HIS BABY SWING WITH HIS 2 YEAR OLD SISTER IN THE LIVING ROOM, MOM STEPPED OUT TO GET A BLANKET AND SHE THEN FOUND THE PATIENT ON THE FLOOR CRYING. HE HAS A SINGLE TOOTH ON THE LOWER GUM LINE AND TRAUMA TO THE TONGUE WHERE IT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE TOOTH. DX: HEAD TRAUMA IN PEDIATRIC PATIENT
4MOF PRESENTS AFTER PT WAS HOME WHEN MOM AND AUNT PLACED PT IN INFANT SWING UNBUCKLED AND STEPPED INTO ANOTHER ROOM. A FEW MINUTES LATER PT WAS HEARD CRYING AND FOUND FACE DOWN ON TILE FLOOR. DX: HEAD TRAUMA IN PEDIATRIC PT
21YOF PRESENTS AFTER TODDLER SWING RESTRAINING BAR HIT HER NOSE. DX: CONTUSION OF NOSE
3MOF - MOM TAKING PT OUT OF A BABY SWING AND DROPPED PT. DX: HEAD INJURY
4YOM FELL FORWARD AND HIT HIS MOUTH OFF OF THE METAL PART OF A BABY SWING DX: DENTAL INJURY
4YOF HIT HER MOUTH ON AN INFANT SWING AT HOME DX: LIP LACERATION *
2 MOM PRESENTS WITH FACIAL CONTUSION S/P 4 YEAR OLD BROTHER TOOK PATIENT OUT OF A BABY SWING AND PLACED HIM ON NANA'S BED AND PATIENT FELL TO FLOOR AT GRANDPARENT'S HOUSE. DX: FACIAL CONTUSION
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
My nephew who is 8 months old was swinging in the baby swing which is a Kolcraft Sesame Street Adjustable swing at my house when he leaned over because he dropped his toy and he flipped forward & the fabric which the seat belt is attached to unlatched it's self from the swing and the seatbelt was still attached to him but it caused him to and hit his face on the floor and he has a big knot & bruise on his head.
Our Graco Slim Spaces Compact Baby Swing automatically swings our 3m old baby according to the speed of the dial. However, in the last week the on light has started flashing and the swing has accelerated beyond the highest speed. Its as if someone is pushing the swing as hard as they can. After reading the reviews of this product in Gracos website it appears that many, many other consumers are experiencing the same issue. This is a product for newborns and infants and it is so unsafe! Here is a link to the product page where other reviews testifying to this problem are available. https://www.gracobaby.com/home-and-gear/swings-and-jumpers/swings/slim-spaces-compact-baby-swing/SAP_2156182.html
a 3m Old baby was able turn turn sideways in the mommaroo swing with the 3 point step. This allowed his head to rub on the zipper part and scratched his head several times
My 1 week old infant was sitting and buckled in the baby swing. He began to cry incessantly, when I went to see what was the matter I noticed the middle leg buckle stained with blood. Although the seat was buckled properly the edge of the velcro was rubbing his leg. Which caused the cut on the inside of his right thigh.
My 3 week old grandsons [REDACTED] motorized swing started smoking after inserting 4 C batteries. Initially the swing started to vigorously swing on level 2 , music came on staticky then we smelled something hot and a chemical smell followed by smoke. We decided to use batteries because it did not work with power cord. The was received as a baby shower gift and we have no receipt.. Do something about this unsafe product immediately before a child is hurt or worse..
(Disney Baby The Lion King Premiere Cozy Coo Sway Seat; Manufactured by Kids II) When I went to check on my 9 month old daughter, I noticed the small plastic button used to release and unlock the harness went missing. I found the button on her while she was awake and became scared of the strong potential as a choking hazard (it is the size of a dime). Because the button fell off I had a lot of difficulty in trying to pry her out of the swing seat.
On September 1st my 6 week old was sleeping in a Fisher Price Zen collection Papasan Craddle swing, when i awoke to him screaming because the swing seat had broke off the metal bar and fell to the ground dropping him on his head. Emergency care was not required because the swings head rest pillow slid and coushined his head from the floor and he was buckled in to the seat. I immediatley removed the swing from my home and placed it in an out side trash can to protect my other young children in my home. I called babies are us sunday morning and reported the problem, fisher price called me thursday morning during their buissness hours and they said that since I disposed of the product and could not send it back to them nothing could be done. and sent me $50 worth of vouchers as a curtacy.
The swing tips over and the baby, if not buckled in can fall out.
Showing 8 of 119 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to portable baby swings (for home use) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are portable baby swings (for home use)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, portable baby swings (for home use) have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,569 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from portable baby swings (for home use)?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 22,601 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from portable baby swings (for home use) increasing or decreasing?
Down 12% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for portable baby swings (for home use) injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 46,797 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by portable baby swings (for home use)?
Of all ER visits involving portable baby swings (for home use), approximately 5.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with portable baby swings (for home use)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Nursery & Baby Products
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 38/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.