Many Parents Choose Inappropriate Child Auto Restraints

Abstract

Injury and Poison Prevention| June 01 2001 Many Parents Choose Inappropriate Child Auto Restraints AAP Grand Rounds (2001) 5 (6): 59. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.5-6-59 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Many Parents Choose Inappropriate Child Auto Restraints. AAP Grand Rounds June 2001; 5 (6): 59. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.5-6-59 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All PublicationsAll JournalsAAP Grand RoundsPediatricsHospital PediatricsPediatrics In ReviewNeoReviewsAAP NewsAll AAP Sites Search Advanced Search Topics: car seats, engineering, seat belts, sitting position, teaching, medical devices, seizures, well child visit Source: Kunkel NC, Nelson DS, Schunk JE. Do parents choose appropriate automotive restraint devices for their children? Clinical Pediatrics. 2001;40:35–40. To study the ability of parents to choose appropriate automotive restraints for their children in comparison with standardized guidelines based on weight and sitting and standing height, 460 children from 180 families were evaluated by University of Utah investigators in the setting of a community bicycle fair. Parents were surveyed about which device (car seat, booster seat, lap or shoulder belt) they thought was appropriate for their child, and their choice was compared to the authors’ standardized guidelines. Thirty percent of the time, recommendations called for a more junior level of restraint device than the parents had chosen. Nearly half the parents of children under 40 lbs. believed the lap belt fit their child and 45% of parents would place 2 children in one seat belt if not enough seat belts were available. The authors acknowledge that, when compared to the general population, the parents surveyed may have been more educated (the large majority had at least a high school diploma) and “safety-minded” (given that they were attending a bicycle fair). However, the results of the study show that a large proportion of these safety-conscious parents still made inappropriate choices for child-restraint devices. Improperly restraining a child can be as hazardous as not restraining a child.1 Although anticipatory guidance regarding injury prevention already plays an important role in the pediatrician’s office, this paper illustrates that we must continue to aggressively advise parents about appropriate automotive restraints. Unfortunately, guidelines are confusing and parents may be getting mixed messages from physicians, state laws, and safety commissions. The AAP guidelines are based on weight and age: children should be rear-facing until they are at least 20 lbs. and 1 year of age; forward-facing when older than 1 year of age and weighing 20–40 lbs.; and a booster seat “should be used when the child has outgrown a convertible safety seat but is too small to fit properly in a vehicle safety belt.”2,3 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has similar weight-based recommendations and also suggests using a booster seat until the safety belt “fits right.” Finally, the guidelines from the Society of Automotive Engineers recommend using sitting height as the measurement to determine the optimal form of restraint. Clearly, parents (and pediatricians) have ample reason to be confused. Kunkel et al advocate for more uniform state legislation and suggest that car seat manufacturers should include a set of guidelines in the packaging, and recommend that pediatricians educate parents about guidelines. Because of the complexity and variability of the recommendations, education outside physician’s offices about appropriate car seat use is essential. The AAP Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention car safety seat guidelines are now being revised to offer more guidance for transitioning from one seat type to the next, including transition to seat belts. This revision will offer additional user-friendly guidelines that refer to... You do not currently have access to this content.