Baby gate-related injuries appear to be on the rise, according to a recent study. The results indicate that such injuries have more than tripled among U.S. children between 1990 and 2010.

Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital determined that baby gates can cause injuries if they are not used correctly.

The study was published in the May-June issue of Academic Pediatrics, and is the first study on a national level to explore gate-related injuries.

Study results indicated that between 1990 and 2010, U.S. emergency departments treated approximately 37,673 children under the age of seven for baby gate-related injuries. On average, this is around 1,794 each year, or roughly five injured children each day.

Over half of the children were under the age of two, and most commonly fell down the stairs after gates were left open or collapsed. Such falls resulted in soft tissue injuries such as sprains and strains and bumps and bruises. According to livescience.com, these injuries accounted for 33 percent of all visits to the emergency room. Brain injuries, including concussions, accounted for 16 percent of children who received treatment. Children between the ages of two and six generally suffered cuts or related injuries from contact with the gate, such as climbing on it.

Lara McKenzie, PhD, co-author of the study and a principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said in a statement, “Baby gates are essential safety devices for parents and caregivers, and they should continue to be used.” She continued, “It is important, however, to make sure you are using a gate that meets the voluntary safety standards and is right type of gate for where you are planning to use it.”