Safer Child Products

Did you know that last April the American Academy of Pediatrics and Safe Kids Worldwide made new recommendations for keeping children Rear Facing in Car Seats until age 2?  This is a big change.  If this is your first child, you may not know any different, but if this is not your first you may want to say “What?  That sounds crazy!”  However, the recommendations for “best practice” are not crazy.  It goes along with a 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention that “children younger than 2 are 75% less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding in a rear-facing child seat.” 

The purpose of buckling your child into a car seat is to secure them so they do not move in the event of a short stop or crash.  The seat should be tight like it is “one” with the car.  The harness’ job is to keep the child in the seat, so that should be snug to their body, not their clothes.  The goal is to have the child restraint (car seat) take and distribute the force of the crash, over the child’s entire body.  When forward facing, the heavy head is likely to snap forward, injuring or cracking the spine.  As discussed in an article in the Chicago Tribune, “A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash.”
NHTSA reported in USA Today that car crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14, but a “Properly used child safety seat decreases the risk of death by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.” NHTSA also said that ”Children are 59% less likely to be injured in a booster seat than if they were using seat belts alone.”

Always check the height and weight restrictions on the side of your child car seat and follow the recommendations.  If you are using the vehicle seat belt to attach the car seat check daily to be sure that it did not accidentally get popped open. 

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/story/2011-09-15/gaps-in-child-seat-safety/50419556/1

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-05/health/ct-x-1005-car-seat-guidelines-20111005_1_child-safety-rear-facing-car-seats

Safer Child Products

“Can I use a hand me down car seat?” If you have all the parts and know the collision history, from a reliable source, and the seat is not yet expired then it is ok to use a hand me down or older seat.  Do not buy a seat from an unknown or unreliable source.

“If I have never been in a collision with my child car seat, do I still need to get rid of it after 6 years?”  The answer is yes. In fact, you should do an overall evaluation every once in a while, just to make sure there are no obvious cracks or discoloration in the car seat “shell” or frayed straps. Be sure to fill out and send back the registration card that came with your child's car seat or booster seat.  This way you will be notified in the event of a recall.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends replacing your child car seat after a Moderate or Severe Crash. Follow this link for manufacturer specific recommendations.

http://community.babycenter.com/post/a21266839/do_i_need_to_replace_my_seat_after_a_crash