Kids often graduate from child safety seats too soon.
Kids often graduate from child safety seats too soon.
June 5, 2000 -- Kids grow up fast these days -- too fast where car safety is concerned it appears. A new study shows that many small children are moved from child safety seats to seat belts far too soon. According to the researchers, these young children are at a much higher risk of significant injury in crashes. The study was published in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The most common serious injury in car crashes is to the head and brain -- and the brain is the organ least capable of recovery. According to lead researcher Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD, "A major benefit of child restraint systems, including car seats and booster seats, is a reduction in head injuries." The study findings show, Winston says, that "child-specific restraint does not end at age 2."
Winston led a team of investigators, known as Partners for Child Passenger Safety, in examining data on crashes involving 2,000 children ages 2 to 5. In collaboration with researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, and State Farm Insurance Companies, Winston's group found that although almost all children were restrained, nearly half of them were restrained in seat belts instead of recommended restraint devices.
Compared with kids in child restraints, those in seat belts were 3.5 times more likely to suffer a significant injury, and were at more than four times greater risk of significant head injuries.
"I applaud parents for restraining their children in cars," Winston tells WebMD. Still, she was "surprised to find so few children were in booster seats. Parents can do more to protect their children."
Specifically, Winston recommends using the appropriate restraint for the child's age and size. To reduce the risk of injury, children should remain in child safety seats until they are at least 4 years old and weigh 40 pounds, at which point they should be placed in belt-positioning booster seats. Children should remain in booster seats until they are the appropriate height and weight for seat belts.
She explains that there are two basic types of booster seats: shield boosters and belt-positioned boosters. "Parents who have heard of boosters typically think of shield boosters, and these are not currently recommended due to the risk of ejection," she says. Instead, Winston promotes belt-positioned boosters that position the child higher so that the seat belt will fit over the child's hips and chest/shoulder. The belt-positioning boosters come in a low-back variety and a high-back variety, both of which currently are recommended.
Kids Often Graduate to Seat Belts Too Soon
June 5, 2000 -- Kids grow up fast these days -- too fast where car safety is concerned it appears. A new study shows that many small children are moved from child safety seats to seat belts far too soon. According to the researchers, these young children are at a much higher risk of significant injury in crashes. The study was published in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The most common serious injury in car crashes is to the head and brain -- and the brain is the organ least capable of recovery. According to lead researcher Flaura K. Winston, MD, PhD, "A major benefit of child restraint systems, including car seats and booster seats, is a reduction in head injuries." The study findings show, Winston says, that "child-specific restraint does not end at age 2."
Winston led a team of investigators, known as Partners for Child Passenger Safety, in examining data on crashes involving 2,000 children ages 2 to 5. In collaboration with researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, and State Farm Insurance Companies, Winston's group found that although almost all children were restrained, nearly half of them were restrained in seat belts instead of recommended restraint devices.
Compared with kids in child restraints, those in seat belts were 3.5 times more likely to suffer a significant injury, and were at more than four times greater risk of significant head injuries.
"I applaud parents for restraining their children in cars," Winston tells WebMD. Still, she was "surprised to find so few children were in booster seats. Parents can do more to protect their children."
Specifically, Winston recommends using the appropriate restraint for the child's age and size. To reduce the risk of injury, children should remain in child safety seats until they are at least 4 years old and weigh 40 pounds, at which point they should be placed in belt-positioning booster seats. Children should remain in booster seats until they are the appropriate height and weight for seat belts.
She explains that there are two basic types of booster seats: shield boosters and belt-positioned boosters. "Parents who have heard of boosters typically think of shield boosters, and these are not currently recommended due to the risk of ejection," she says. Instead, Winston promotes belt-positioned boosters that position the child higher so that the seat belt will fit over the child's hips and chest/shoulder. The belt-positioning boosters come in a low-back variety and a high-back variety, both of which currently are recommended.
