Safety Topics

AAP Updates Report on CPS for Preemies and Low Birth Weight Infants - Thursday, June 25, 2009

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released the updated clinical report, “Safe Transportation of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants at Hospital Discharge.” The report is the result of a lengthy and thorough analysis and review process headed by Marilyn J. Bull, MD, and William A. Engle, MD.
The new clinical report replaces the policy statement on this subject that had been in effect since 1996. The AAP added the clinical report classification sometime after the prior policy statement was issued. With this update, it was determined that the document better suited the definition of a clinical report (“guidance for the clinician in rendering pediatric care”), so it was reclassified.

For Children with Special Health Care Needs - Sunday, May 18, 2008

Many children with medical or behavioral conditions can use regular car seats. For those who can’t, there are products available that are specially designed and tested to meet the same standard as regular car seats.

Drinking Drivers Who Crash Kill Kids in Their Cars - Friday, March 07, 2008

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that one in every four deaths in crashes of children under age 15 is related to alcohol use. The data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System about crash-related child passenger deaths during the years 1997 to 2002 were analyzed.

Head Support Pads for Newborns - Friday, March 07, 2008

New babies do not have enough strength in their necks to hold their heads up to keep their airways open. Their heads tend to flop sideways or forward. Placing padding alongside the baby’s head can keep it from flopping sideways. A head pad from one CR should not be used in a different CR or one from another manufacturer.

Unoccupied Boosters Can Injure Other Passengers - Friday, March 07, 2008

Though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) does not keep data on how often passengers are injured by loose items in vehicles, such as unsecured booster seats, these injuries do occur. Two such incidents made headlines in Wisconsin in the past couple years. While not fatally injured, both victims still suffer from lingering effects due to their injuries.

Teen Drivers Raise Injury Risk to Child Passengers - Friday, March 07, 2008

While relatively few children are driven by teenage drivers, those young passengers are three times more likely to be injured than those driven by adults. Children riding with teens are often not correctly buckled up and more children under age 13 ride in the front seat.

Air Bag Danger in Parked Cars - Friday, March 07, 2008

Airbag dangers for younger children include mishaps that occur in parked vehicles. A six-year-old Pennsylvania child was critically injured by an airbag in April 2007