Safety Corner
Your child’s safety is of
paramount importance to you as parents and to us at Desert Ridge Children’s
Center. At every age, we will discuss safety tips when you come in for a well
child visit. In addition, we will use any other opportunity to provide
information on keeping your child safe as it presents itself.
Some examples of special safety hazards unique to AZ living
include: sunburns, drowning deaths in swimming pools, scorpion stings, snake
bites, heat exposure in locked cars, incorrect use of car seats, etc.
Keep a list of emergency contact numbers near the
phone.
Summer Safety Tips: Especially
Important in AZ, this comprehensive guide from the AAP provides information on
sunburns, pool safety, heat stress in exercising children, boat safety, bug
safety, playground safety, bicycle, skate board and scooter safety, lawnmower
safety, travel safety, lawnmower safety, fireworks safety, and home alone
safety (http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/summertips.htm)
Car Seat
Safety: Check out the AAP website for specific guidelines (http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm).
in addition there are some general websites devoted to safety information on children. These
include:
Kids Health www.kidshealth.org
National Safe Kids Campaign www.safekids.org
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (For
Product Recalls) www.cpsc.gov
One of the best ways you
can protect you children is by regular
health check ups and immunizing them on time. http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.PDF
Car
Safety Seats
Each year hundreds of young children are killed in car crashes and
thousands more are injured seriously enough to go to the emergency room. Using
car safety seats and seat belts correctly is the best way to prevent this from
happening to your child. This information explains how.
Which car safety seat is the best?
No one seat is the "best" or "safest." The
"best" seat is the one that fits your child's size, is correctly
installed, and is used properly every time you drive. When shopping for a car
safety seat, keep the following in mind:
- Price doesn't always matter. Higher
prices can mean added features that may or may not make the seat easier to
use.
- When you find a seat you like, try it
out. Put your child in it and adjust the harnesses and buckles. Make sure
it fits in your car. Follow the instructions that came with the car safety
seat.
- Keep in mind that pictures or displays
of car safety seats in stores may not show them being used the right way.
Important safety rules
- Always use a car safety seat, starting
with your baby's first ride home from the hospital.
- Never place a child in a rear-facing
car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an airbag.
- The safest place for all children to
ride is in the back seat.
- Set a good example-always wear your
seat belt. Help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.
- Remember that each car safety seat is
different. Read and keep the instructions that came with your seat.
- Read the owner's manual that came with
your car on how to correctly install car safety seats.
Rear-facing Seats
All infants should ride rear-facing until
they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. That means that if your baby reaches 20
pounds before her first birthday, she should remain rear-facing until she turns
1 year old. There are two types of
rear-facing seats: infant-only seats and convertible seats. Following are some important features of
both:
Infant-only seats
- Small and portable (sometimes come as
part of a stroller system).
- Have a 3-point or 5-point harness.
- Can only be used for infants up to 20
pounds, depending on the model.
- Many come with a detachable base, which
can be left in the car. The seat clicks in and out of the base, which
means you don't have to install it each time you use it.
- Most have carrying handles.
Convertible seats
·
Bigger than infant-only seats.
·
Can also be used forward-facing for older and larger children,
therefore these seats can be used longer.
·
Many have higher rear-facing weight limits than infant only seats.
These are ideal for bigger babies.
·
Have the following types of harnesses
- 5-point harness - 5 straps: 2 at the shoulders, 2 at the hips,
1 at the crotch
- T-shield - A padded t-shaped or triangle-shaped shield
attached to the
shoulder straps
-
Overhead shield - A padded tray-like
shield that swings
down around the
child
Other
features to look for in rear-facing seats
- Harness
slots. Look for seats that
come with more than one set of harness slots to give your growing baby
more room. The harness should be in the slots at or below your baby's
shoulders. Check the manufacturer's instructions to be sure.
- Adjustable
buckles and shields. Many
rear-facing seats have 2 or more buckle positions for growing babies. Many
overhead shields can be adjusted as well.
- Other
features. Angle
indicators, built-in angle adjusters that help you get the proper recline,
and head support systems are other features that are made to help you
install the seat the right way.
Forward-facing seats
Once your child is at least 1 year of age and is at least 20
pounds, he can ride forward-facing. However, it is best for him to ride
rear-facing until he reaches the highest weight and height limits allowed by
the car safety seat. There are many
types of seats that can be used forward-facing, including convertible seats,
forward-facing only seats, and combination forward-facing/booster seats.
As mentioned, convertible seats can be used forward-facing.
However, if you have used your convertible seat rear-facing, you need to make 3
adjustments before using it forward-facing.
1. Move the shoulder straps to the slots that are at or above
your child's shoulders. On many convertible seats, the top harness slots must
be used when the seat is in the forward-facing position. Check the instructions
to be sure.
2. Move the seat from the reclined to the upright position if
required by the manufacturer of the seat.
3. Make sure the seat belt runs through the forward- facing
belt path.
Built-in forward-facing or booster seats are available in some
cars and vans. Weight and height limits vary. Check with your vehicle
manufacturer for details about how these seats are used.
Booster seats
Your child should stay in a car safety seat with a harness as long
as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat. You can tell when
your child is ready for a booster seat when one of the following is true:
- She reaches the top weight or height
allowed for her seat.
- Her shoulders are above the harness
slots.
- Her ears have reached the top of the
seat.
Booster seats are designed to raise your child so that the
lap/shoulder belt fits properly. This means the lap belt lies low across your
child's thighs and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of your child's chest
and shoulder. Correct belt fit helps protect the stomach, spine, and head from
injury. Both high-backed and backless models are available. Booster seats
should be used until your child can correctly fit in a lap/shoulder seat belt
(see "Seat belts" below).
Some car safety seats combine the features of a forward-facing
seat and a booster. These seats come with harness straps for children who weigh
up to 40 to 50 pounds (depending on the model). Once your child reaches the
weight and height limits, you can use the seat as a booster by removing the
harnesses and using your vehicle's lap/shoulder belts. Keep in mind that when
using the harness straps, the seat can be secured with a lap/ shoulder belt or
a lap-only belt. However, once you remove the harness, you must use a
lap/shoulder belt.
Seat belts
Your child is ready to use a seat belt when the belt fits
properly. This means
- The shoulder belt lies across the
middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
- The lap belt is low and snug across the
thighs, not the stomach.
- The child is tall enough to sit against
the vehicle seat back with his legs bent at the knees and feet hanging
down and can stay in this position comfortably throughout a trip.
Remember, seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does
not fit your child correctly, he should stay in a booster seat until the adult
seat belt fits. This is usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in
height and is between 8 to 12 years of age.
Other points to keep in mind
when using seat belts include the following:
- Never tuck the shoulder belt under the
child's arm or behind the back.
- If there's only a lap belt, make sure
it's snug and low on the child's thighs, not across the stomach. Try to
get a lap/shoulder belt installed in your car by a dealer.
Installing a car safety seat
There are 2 main things to remember when installing a car safety
seat.
1. Your child must be buckled snugly into the seat.
2. The seat must be buckled as tightly as possible into your
vehicle.
Ask yourself the following questions to make sure both are done
correctly. If you are not sure, check the instructions that came with your car
safety seat.
Is the child buckled into the car safety seat correctly?
- Are you using the correct harness
slots?
- Are the harnesses snug?
- Is the plastic harness clip (if your
seat comes with one) at armpit level to hold shoulder straps in place?
- Do the harness straps lie flat?
- Is your baby dressed in clothes that
allow the straps to go between the legs? It's OK to adjust the straps to
allow for thicker clothes, but make sure that the harness still holds the
child snugly.
- Is anything under your baby? Tuck
blankets around your baby after adjusting the harness straps snugly. Never
place them under your baby.
- Is your child slouching down or to the
side? If so, pad the sides of the seat and between the crotch with rolled
up diapers or blankets.
Is the car safety seat buckled into the vehicle correctly?
- Is the car safety seat facing the right
direction for your child's age and weight?
- Is the seat belt routed through the
correct belt path?
- Is the seat belt buckled tight? If you
can move the seat more than an inch side to side or toward the front of
the car, it's not tight enough.
- Is your rear-facing seat reclined
enough? Your infant's head should not flop forward. If it does, tilt the
car safety seat back a little. Your car safety seat may have a built-in
recline adjuster for this purpose. If not, wedge firm padding, such as a
rolled towel, under the base.
- Do you need a locking clip? They come
with all new car safety seats. If the seat belts in your car move freely
even when buckled, you need a locking clip. If you're not sure, check the
manual that came with your car.
- Some lap belts need a special
heavy-duty locking clip. These are only available from the vehicle
manufacturer. Check the manual that came with your car for more
information.
How has installation been made safer and easier?
Child passenger safety experts have developed several ways to make
car safety seat installation safer and easier, including the following:
- LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children) is an attachment system that makes installing a car safety seat
easier. If your vehicle comes with this anchor system, you do not need to
use a safety seat belt to secure the car safety seat. All passenger
vehicles and car safety seats made after September 2002 come with LATCH.
However, unless both your vehicle and the car safety seat have this anchor
system, you will still need to use a safety seat belt to secure the car
safety seat.
- A tether is a strap that hooks to the top of a forward facing
car safety seat and attaches to an anchor in the vehicle. Tether anchors
are usually located on the rear window ledge, the back of the vehicle
seat, or on the floor or ceiling of the vehicle. Tethers give extra
protection by keeping the car safety seat and the child's head from being
thrown too far forward in a crash.
All new cars, minivans, and light trucks have been required to
have tether anchors since September 2000. Most new forward-facing car safety
seats come with tethers. For older car safety seats, tether kits are available.
It is highly recommended that tethers be used because they greatly improve the
protection of your child in a crash. Check with the car safety seat
manufacturer to find out how you can get a tether for your seat.
- Child
Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians can help you. If you have more questions about installing your car
safety seat, a certified CPS Technician may be able to help. A list of
certified CPS Technicians is available by state or ZIP code on the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/
contacts/. A list of inspection stations is available at www.seatcheck.org.
You can also get this information by calling the NHTSA Auto Safety Hot
Line at 888/ DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236), from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ET,
Monday through Friday.
Keep in mind that there are products on the market that claim to
make seat belts fit better. These devices attach to the seat belt but are not a
part of the original belt. These products may actually interfere with proper
lap and shoulder belt fit by causing the lap belt to ride too high on the
stomach and making the shoulder belt too loose. Until NHTSA develops safety
standards for these products, the
Car safety seats and
shopping carts
Many infant-only car
safety seats lock into shopping carts and many stores have shopping carts with
built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but your baby could tip over or fall
out of the cart. Thousands of children are hurt every year from falling from
shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby's
car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller, backpack, or front pack
while shopping with your baby.
Common questions about car safety seats
Q: What if my baby
is premature?
A: Use a car safety seat without a
shield harness. Shields often are too high and too far from the body to fit
correctly. A small baby's face could hit a shield in a crash. While still in
the hospital, your baby should be observed in her car safety seat to make sure
the reclined position does not cause low heart rate, low oxygen, or breathing
problems. If your baby needs to lie flat during travel, use a crash-tested car
bed. If possible, an adult should ride in the back seat next to your baby to
watch her closely.
Q: What if my baby
weighs more than 20 pounds but is not 1 year of age yet?
A: Many babies reach 20 pounds
well before their first birthday. However, just because your baby weighs more
than 20 pounds does not make him ready to ride forward-facing. Luckily, there
are many convertible seats that can be used rear-facing for children weighing
more than 20 pounds. See the product listing at the end of this brochure to see
which seats have these higher weight limits.
Q: What if my child
has special health care needs?
A: Children with special health
problems may need other restraint systems. For more information and a list of
car safety seats available for children with special needs, see the AAP
brochure, "Safe Transportation of Children with Special Needs: A Guide for
Families."
Q: What if my car
has side air bags?
A: Side air bags improve safety
for adults in side impact crashes. However, children who are seated near a side
air bag can be at risk for serious injury. Read your vehicle owner's manual for
recommendations that apply to your vehicle.
Q: What if my car
only has lap belts in the back seat?
A: Lap belts work fine with
infant-only, convertible, and forward-facing car safety seats. They cannot be
used with belt-positioning booster seats, and they are not the safest way to
buckle older children. If your car only has lap belts, use a forward-facing car
safety seat with a harness and higher weight limits. Other options are
- Check with a car
dealer or the manufacturer of your car to see if shoulder belts can be
installed.
-Use a travel vest (some can be used with lap belts).
- Consider buying another car with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat.
Q: What if I drive
more children than can be buckled safely in the back seat?
A: Avoid this situation,
especially if your car has passenger air bags. However, in an emergency, place
the child most likely to sit in the proper forward-facing position in the front
seat, with the vehicle seat moved as far back as possible. A child in a
forward-facing car safety seat with a harness may be the best choice because a
child who is in a booster seat or using a regular seat belt can easily move out
of position and be at greater risk for injuries from the air bag.
Q: Can I use a car
safety seat on an airplane?
A: The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the AAP recommend that when flying, children be
securely fastened in car safety seats until 4 years of age then be secured with
the airplane seat belts. This will help keep them safe during takeoff and
landing or in case of turbulence. Most infant, convertible, and forward-facing
seats are certified to be used on air planes. Booster seats and travel vests
are not. Check the label on your car safety seat and call the airline before
you travel to be sure your seat meets current FAA regulations.
Q: Can I use a car
safety seat that was in a crash?
A: If the car safety seat was in a
moderate or severe crash, it needs to be replaced. If the crash was minor, the
seat does not automatically need to be replaced. A crash is considered minor if
all of the following are true:
- The vehicle could be driven away from the crash.
- The vehicle door closest to the car safety seat was not damaged.
- No one in the vehicle was injured.
- The air bags did not go off.
- You can't see any damage to the car safety seat.
If you are unsure, call
the manufacturer of the seat. See the resource section at the end of this
brochure for manufacturer names and phone numbers.
Q: What about using
a used car safety seat?
A: Do not use a car safety seat
that
-
Is too old. Look on the label for the
date it was made. Do not use seats that are more than 10 years old. Some
manufacturers recommend that car safety seats only be used for 5 to 6 years.
Check with the manufacturer to find out how long the company recommends using
their seat.
- Has any cracks in the frame of the
seat.
- Does not have a label with the date
of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check on
recalls.
- Does not come with instructions.
You need them to know how to use the seat. You can get a copy of the
instruction manual by contacting the manufacturer.
- Is missing parts. Used car
safety seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to
make sure you can get the right parts.
- Is a shield booster. Although
shield boosters may meet current safety standards for use by children from 30
to 40 pounds, the AAP does not recommend their use. Major injuries have
occurred to children in shield boosters. The only time shield boosters should
be used is if the shield is removed and the seat is used with a lap/shoulder
belt as a belt-positioning booster.
- Was recalled. You can find out
by calling the manufacturer or contacting the following:
-
Auto Safety Hot Line 888/DASH-2-DOT
(888/327-4236), from 8:00 am to 10:00
pm ET, Monday through Friday.
-
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA)
If the seat has been
recalled, be sure to follow the instructions to fix it or to get the parts you
need. You also may get a registration card for future recall notices from the
hot line.
Don't
leave your child unattended in a car safety seat
Children
should never be left alone in a car whether they are in their car safety seats
or not. Any of the following can happen when a child is left alone in a
vehicle:
Temperatures can reach deadly levels in minutes, and the child can die of heat
stroke.
He can be strangled by power windows, sunroofs, or accessories.
He can be taken during a car theft or kidnapped from the vehicle.
He can knock the vehicle into gear, setting it in motion.
Don't leave your baby
unattended in a car safety seat outside of the vehicle either. When your baby
falls asleep in his car safety seat, it can be tempting to bring him inside and
leave him alone in the seat, but this can be unsafe. Your baby can fall out of
the carrier, or the carrier can fall over. And remember that placing the car
safety seat on a shopping cart is unsafe too. The best place for your baby to
sleep is on his back in a safe crib.
Always read and follow manufacturer's instructions
If you do not have the manufacturer's instructions for your car
safety seat, write or call the company's customer service department. They will
ask you for the model number, name of seat, and date of manufacture. The
manufacturer's address and phone number are on the label on the seat.
All products listed on the following pages meet Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213 as of the date of publication. There may be car
safety seats available that are not listed in this brochure. The following
information is current as of the date of publication. Before buying a car
safety seat, check the manufacturer's instructions for important safety
information about proper fitting and use.
Although the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is not a testing or standard-setting organization,
this guide sets forth the AAP recommendations based on the peer-reviewed
literature available at the time of its publication, and sets forth some of the
factors that parents should consider before selecting and using a car safety
seat. The appearance of the name