Rear-Facing Car Safety Seat Use for Children 18 Months of Age: Prevalence and Determinants.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and potential determinants of rear-facing car safety seat use among children approximately 18 months of age born at a university hospital. STUDY DESIGN: We administered a telephone survey to caregivers of children 17-19 months of age who were born between November 2013 and May 2014. The survey was designed to assess the prevalence of rear-facing car safety seat use and estimate the likelihood of rear-facing car safety seat use, compared with forward-facing car seat use, in reference to hypothesized determinants. aORs and 95% CIs were calculated using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 56% of potentially eligible caregivers (491/877) completed the survey; 62% of these reported rear-facing car safety seat use. Race, education, rurality, and household income were associated with rear-facing car safety seat use after controlling for potential confounders. Additionally, caregivers who reported having discussed car seats with their child's provider (aOR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.6); receiving their child's primary care in pediatrics compared with family practice clinics (aOR 2.4; 95% CI 1.1-2.6); and being aware of the American Academy of Pediatrics rear-facing recommendation (aOR 2.8; 95% CI 1.8-4.1) were significantly more likely to report rear-facing car safety seat use. Conversely, caregivers who previously used a car seat with another child were less likely to have their child rear facing at 18 months of age (aOR 0.6; 95% CI 0.4-0.9). CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of children were forward facing at 18 months of age. Future efforts focused on encouraging providers to discuss car seats during patient visits, increasing awareness of the American Academy of Pediatrics' rear-facing recommendation, and targeting high-risk populations may improve the prevalence of children who remain rear facing until 2 years of age.

Car Seat Safety: Typologies of Protective Health and Safety Behaviors for Mothers in West Virginia.

Objective Parenting practices differ for a variety of reasons, and three parenting behaviors may be directly influenced by research, policy, and overall parenting trends: car safety seats, vaccination, and breastfeeding. Mothers were categorized in terms of their rear-facing car safety seat utilization and its relationship to other parental health and safety behaviors. Methods A cross-sectional, online survey of mothers of children under 3 years of age (n = 124) was conducted. Items assessed mother's perceived risk and worry about being in an automobile accident, as well as duration of rear-facing car seat utilization. A cluster analysis based on these variables was performed to differentiate the sample into four distinct groups. Outcomes were knowledge of car safety seats, breastfeeding duration, and adherence to vaccination schedules. Results The sample was predominantly White, had an average age of 32 years, had breastfed, and had at least some college education. Two groups of interest had (Group 1) long duration of rear-facing use with low perceived risk and worry and (Group 2) short use with high perceived risk and worry. Fisher's Exact test indicated Group 1 had higher knowledge of airbag use with car seats (p = 0.035), lower intentions to use the recommended vaccinations schedule (p = 0.005), and were more likely to breastfeed (p = 0.044) for longer duration (p = 0.012). Conclusion Propensity for mothers' risk aversion may be the crucial element in both an appropriate duration of rear-facing car safety seat use and refusal of recommended vaccination schedule.

¿Qué deben saber los pediatras sobre las sillitas para autos?: Sistemas de retención infantil para automóviles / What pediatricians should know about car seats?: Car safety seats

En la Argentina mueren más de 7000 personas por año debido a lesiones de tránsito. Es una endemia y un serio problema de salud pública. Existen recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia sobre cómo deben viajar los niños en los automóviles; los menores de 8 años o de 150 cm de altura no pueden ser sujetados por el cinturón de seguridad y deben viajar en un sistema de retención infantil. Estos dispositivos disminuyen significativamente las probabilidades de sufrir lesiones y muerte en una colisión. Si bien en nuestro país aún no está legislada la obligatoriedad de su uso, los pediatras deben recomendar a los padres cómo y por qué utilizarlos.

In Argentina more than 7,000 people die each year due to traffic injuries. It is an endemic disease, a serious public health problem. There are evidence-based recommendations about how children should ride safety in cars; children through 8 years or 4 feet 9 inches cannot be fastened by the seat belt so they should ride in a child restraint system. These devices significantly reduce the chances of suffering serious injuries and fatalities. Although in our country the use of car safety seats is not yet legislated nor compulsory, pediatricians should recommend parents how and why to use them.

¿Qué deben saber los pediatras sobre las sillitas para autos?: Sistemas de retención infantil para automóviles / What pediatricians should know about car seats?: Car safety seats

En la Argentina mueren más de 7000 personas por año debido a lesiones de tránsito. Es una endemia y un serio problema de salud pública. Existen recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia sobre cómo deben viajar los niños en los automóviles; los menores de 8 años o de 150 cm de altura no pueden ser sujetados por el cinturón de seguridad y deben viajar en un sistema de retención infantil. Estos dispositivos disminuyen significativamente las probabilidades de sufrir lesiones y muerte en una colisión. Si bien en nuestro país aún no está legislada la obligatoriedad de su uso, los pediatras deben recomendar a los padres cómo y por qué utilizarlos.(AU)

In Argentina more than 7,000 people die each year due to traffic injuries. It is an endemic disease, a serious public health problem. There are evidence-based recommendations about how children should ride safety in cars; children through 8 years or 4 feet 9 inches cannot be fastened by the seat belt so they should ride in a child restraint system. These devices significantly reduce the chances of suffering serious injuries and fatalities. Although in our country the use of car safety seats is not yet legislated nor compulsory, pediatricians should recommend parents how and why to use them.(AU)