Booster seats cut chance of injury in Half

In the November issue of the leading journal, Pediatrics*, a team of doctors

in Philadelphia published their findings comparing the chance of a 4-8

year-old child suffering an injury during a car accident if they were

wearing a seat belt v. sitting in a booster seat.

They studied over 7,000 children, involved in over 6,000 car crashes

from data across 16 states. The sample represented over 100,000

children in over 100,000 car crashes.

What did they find?

If your child who is over 40 pounds but less than 4’9″ tall

is in a booster seat, they reduce their chance of being injured

compared to a child wearing a seat belt, by about 50%!

So please, if your child is between 40 pounds and 4’9″, have them

in a booster seat. It will eliminate about half their risk of being injured

in a car accident.

(Full text of article: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/124/5/1281)

Dr. Arthur Lavin

**********************************************************

In a previous post, we discussed the new Ohio law

on booster seats:

The Car Seat Safety Law in Ohio

Recently the Ohio legislature passed a law requiring children under a

certain age and/or height to be in a car seat.

Prior to this law being passed, it was the law that a child be in a car

seat from birth through either age 4 years or 40 pounds.

Now, starting in October, 2009, a citation will be issued to any parent

whose child is not in a child seat through either age 8 years or 4’9″.

Starting in April, 2010, a citation will be issued for second offenses of this law.

The current recommendations from Advanced Pediatrics are as follows:

• All people riding in a car should have their pelvis and shoulder secured
• For anyone less than 4’9″ tall, that requires some device to achieve that security
• From birth to age one year and 20 pounds, one should be in an infant car seat, facing backwards
• From that point until 40 pounds, one should be in an infant car seat, facing forwards
• From 40 pounds until 4’9″ one should be in a booster seat.

Note these key items:

You should not face forward until you are both 1 year old and 20 pounds in weight.

The shift from infant seat to booster seat occurs at 40 pounds, the age does not matter.

The end of needing any device takes place at 4’9″ . For this change neither age nor weight matter.

These guidelines have nothing to do with a child being mature, or grown up,

they only reflect the physics of how bodies can be safely secured during

and accident. If you follow these guidelines, your child(ren) is far less likely

to be hurt if an accident occurs.

Dr. Lavin

*Disclaimer*
The comments contained in this electronic source of information do not constitute and are not designed to imply that they constitute any form of individual medical advice. The information provided is purely for informational purposes only and not relevant to any person’s particular medical condition or situation. If you have any medical concerns about yourself or your family please contact your physician immediately. In order to provide our patients the best uninfluenced information that science has to offer,we do not accept samples of drugs, advertising tchotchkes, money, food, or any item from outside vendors.