Nearly half of the kids injured & killed were UNrestrained.
Stress to parents to ALWAYS use SOMETHING (i.e. if in a taxi with a 3y/o without a car seat or booster… buckle child in his own seat belt & keep shoulder belt in FRONT of child)
Toddlers should be RF in a convertible seat – starts RF (up to 35-50lbs OR head 1 inch below top of seat), later goes FF
Feet touching back of seat is FINE; approx 0.1% of kids rear-facing will suffer lower extremity injury – rate much higher forward-facing). Also, kids are flexible… it is not uncomfortable for them.
FORWARD-Facing (using a 5 point harness as the restraint) (abbreviated as FF)
Until AT LEAST 4y AND 40lbs AND mature enough to sit still in a booster
Tether EVERY forward-facing seat! Tether is strap that secures top of car seat to anchor in back of vehicle – decreases brain & spinal cord injury by decreasing child’s head movement in crash.
BOOSTER seat (using the vehicle’s shoulder & lap belt as the restraint)
Booster positions seat belt properly on child’s body (poorly positioned lap belt is major source of injury to spinal cord & abdominal organs… shoulder belt rubbing neck is NOT a source of injury)
NEVER put shoulder belt behind child’s back or under arm (this removes all head protection)
Use booster until child passes 5-STEP TEST – must say YES to ALL 5 below… usually pass ~10-12y
FRONT seat
Not until at least 13 years of age – use as opportunity to model good driving behavior (scanning, lane changes, signaling) to prepare child to become a safe driver
Patient Resources:
bit.ly/PreemieSeats – Rear-facing-only seats by starting weight (no minimum, 4lbs, 5lbs)
bit.ly/TravelSeats – Travel-friendly seats for families who take taxis/don’t own their own car
www.seatcheck.org/ (Input zip code & get a list of local locations that will install car seat, often for free.)
bit.ly/AAPcarseatrecs2011 (Patient info on types of car seats, when to transition & fantastic FAQ section)
