Infant Carrier Research Articles

Evaluation of Programs Designed To Increase the Protection of Infants in Cars

Three in-hospital educational programs for postpartum women, designed to increase the crash protection of infants in cars, were evaluated in comparison to a group that received no education. The programs consisted of (1) literature, plus making infant carriers readily accessible and convenient to purchase; (2) literature, plus a personal discussion, plus making infant carriers readily accessible and convenient to purchase; and (3) literature, plus the offer of a free infant carrier. The programs increased the extent to which infant carriers were used to transport babies in cars, but had little or no effect on the key outcome measure: use of infant carriers fastened by the car seat belt so that crash protection is provided. Rates of such use were low in all groups. It is concluded that ways of providing increased crash protection to infant and child travelers in addition to use of restraint systems requiring the active, voluntary cooperation of parents must be encouraged. "Passive" (automatic) protection techniques, such as air bags and vehicle interior modifications, have great potential in this regard.

382 EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO INCREASE PROTECTION OF INFANTS IN CARS

Three in-hospital educational programs for post-partum women, designed to increase the crash protection of infants in cars, were evaluated in comparison to a group that received no education. The programs consisted of: (a) literature, plus making infant carriers readily accessible and convenient to purchase; (b) literature, plus a personal discussion, plus making infant carriers readily accessible and convenient to purchase; and (c) literature, plus the offer of a free infant carrier. The programs increased the extent to which infant carriers were used to transport babies in cars, but had little or no effect on the key outcome measure: use of infant carriers fastened by the car seat belt so that crash protection is provided. Rates of such use were low in all groups. It is concluded that ways of providing increased crash protection to infant and child travelers in addition to use of restraint systems requiring the active, voluntary cooperation of parents must be encouraged. “Passive” (automatic) protection techniques, such as air bags and vehicle interior modifications, have great potential in this regard.

PUBLIC HEALTH

On the basis of present knowledge, the various sources and accompanying pathways by which effective contacts between susceptible infants and the staphylococcus take place in the nursery outbreaks are as follows: 1) Direct contact with infective lesions; 2) direct and indirect contact spread from the asymptomatic infant carrier to the susceptible infant within the nursery, particularly under conditions of overcrowding and poor nursery technique. Personnel carriers, fomites and air-borne droplet nuclei and dust, as sources of outbreaks, do not command a body of convincing epidemiologic evidence at this time. The epidemiologic investigation of nursery-acquired disease requires that each infant at risk be followed for a minimum of 15 days. The most probable source and route of transmission of the causative organism can be identified. Control efforts should be based on the epidemiologic diagnosis.