AVOID DISASTER FOR YOUR CHILDREN

In a recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it was found that seventy percent of children were not correctly restrained in the vehicle they were traveling in. This puts thousands of children in harm’s way unnecessarily; research suggests that improper child restraints significantly increase the risk of fatality in the event of a crash.
There are several types of child safety seats on the market, four of which are explained at http://pregnancy.about.com/od/babysafety/ss/typesofcarseats_4.htm, and are briefly described below:

A. There are infant car seats, designed specifically for those babies that are under twenty pounds. These will typically suit your baby for the first six to twelve months of life. This type of seat can often be used as a carrier as well. Many will attach to a base that stays strapped into the car while you use the seat as a carrier.



B. Another type of seat is a convertible, meaning it can be used as a rear-facing
seat for an infant up to twenty pounds or one year of age, and then can be switched to a forward-facing seat for children beyond the twenty pound/one year mark. While this saves on having to buy a new seat as your baby grows, this seat cannot serve as a carrier and is difficult to transfer from car to car.



C. A third type of seat is the convertible with a shield. This design is similar to the convertible described above, but includes a “shield” or padded bar that pulls down in front of the baby at about the abdomen level. Several organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, advise against this model because of the possibility of a child striking his face on the shield and sustaining major facial injury.



D. Finally, there is the high-backed or no-backed booster seat, for use with children between forty and eighty pounds. These seats often use the existing car seat belt to secure the child, and provide added elevation to ensure that the straps are positioned correctly. These should be used until age eight, or until the child is tall enough that an adult seatbelt is positioned correctly without the use of a booster.

Putting in a car seat is not child’s play. There are latches and buttons, tethers and straps, and sometimes instructions just are not clear enough. Often a parent will put the seat to the best of their ability, but its effectiveness falls short of its intended protection. There are several mistakes that parents and caregivers can make when installing a child safety seat (http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm):
• The seat faces forward, when it should face backward, or vice versa.
• The seat is in the front seat, when it should be in the backseat.
• The seat is positioned in front of an airbag.
• The seatbelt does not follow the path it should through the car seat.
• The seat is positioned too far upright, instead of at a forty-five degree angle.
Additionally, there are some mistakes often made in securing a child into the seat, or in the choice of car seat, such as:
• The child is too big for a car seat.
• The child is too small for a booster seat.
• The child is too small for an adult lap and shoulder belt
• The child’s shoulder straps are positioned too high
• The child’s shoulder straps are too loose
• The child’s chest clip is too low or too high, or not used at all
Any of these circumstances can be disastrous for you child in the event of an accident. This makes it extremely important that great care go into installing your child’s seat. Hospitals, ambulance services, highway departments, and other organizations across the nation are setting up checkpoints and inspection sites to offer assistance in this ever confusing but all-important task. Call 1-866-SEAT-CHECK to find an inspection location near you.