ROSEMONT, Ill.—Supplemental child restraints should be used by all children through age 8. When appropriate child safety restraint systems—based on a child's age and weight—are in use during motor vehicle crashes, the rates of mortality and serious injury significantly decrease. Most parents don't know that their older children—ages 4 to 8—should use additional measures to protect them from serious injury or death in case of a crash.
In a literature review appearing in the June 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ( JAAOS ), researchers highlight current North American child safety restraint systems usage recommendations and injury rates. The study found that even though most children up to age 3 were protected properly, almost half of the children killed were under age 5 and completely unrestrained in the vehicle.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2010 Fatal Injury Reports, National and Regional, motor vehicle crashes between 1999 to 2010 were the leading cause of death in children aged 1 to 17 years. But, child safety seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars.
"The safest position for a child is the rear center seat because side impact crashes are more likely to cause serious injury and fatality, with the greatest risk associated with perimeter seating," says lead author Dr. Walter H. Truong, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in Minnesota. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to keep toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2.
Child Safety Restraint Systems – By the Numbers
-more-
Findings and Recommendations
June 3, 2013 Full JAAOS Table of Contents
For more AAOS news, visit the News Bureau
Follow AAOS on Twitter
Follow AAOS on Facebook
A Nation in Motion®
More than one in four Americans have bone or joint health problems, making them the greatest cause of lost work days in the U.S. When orthopaedic surgeons restore mobility and reduce pain, they help people get back to work and to independent, productive lives. Orthopaedic surgeons provide the best value in American medicine in both human and economic terms and access to high-quality orthopaedic care keeps this "Nation in Motion." To learn more, to read hundreds of patient stories or to submit your own story, visit ANationInMotion.org .
Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons