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Published on: September 21, 2017
Analysis of child passenger safety restraint use at a pediatric emergency department
Alan T Cease1, William D King, Kathy W Monroe
1University of Alabama Birmingham, Medical School, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Insights
Many parents lack knowledge of child passenger safety laws and guidelines, highlighting a need for better education on proper restraint use, especially booster seats. Utilizing car seat check programs significantly improves correct usage rates.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
- Child Passenger Safety
Background:
- Child passenger safety (CPS) is crucial for preventing injuries during transport.
- Parental knowledge of CPS laws and guidelines directly impacts proper restraint use.
- Existing educational initiatives may not be reaching all parents effectively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of proper child restraint use among children arriving at a pediatric emergency department.
- To evaluate parental awareness of Alabama's child passenger safety laws and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines.
- To identify parents' primary sources of information regarding child passenger safety.
Main Methods:
- A convenience sample of 520 parents with children under 13 years old was surveyed in a pediatric emergency department waiting area over five weeks.
- Appropriate restraint use was evaluated against Alabama law and AAP recommendations.
- Parental knowledge of laws, guidelines, and the "Car Seat Checks" program was assessed, along with their information sources.
Main Results:
- While 72.3% used restraints correctly per Alabama law, only 60.6% met AAP guidelines, with 5.0% unrestrained.
- Booster seats were the most frequently misused restraint; however, correct car seat use was reported at 81.9%.
- Parents who participated in "Car Seat Checks" showed higher correct use rates (95.8% for booster seats, 61.5% for car seats), but only 31.2% knew about the program and 40.6% knew the law. Hospitals were the most common information source.
Conclusions:
- There is a clear need to enhance parental understanding of appropriate child restraint use, particularly for booster seats.
- Increased awareness and utilization of "Car Seat Checks" programs are essential for improving child passenger safety.
- Programs offering car seat assistance are linked to significantly higher rates of correct restraint usage.
Purpose:
The objectives of the study were to determine the number of children properly restrained during transit to a pediatric emergency department for care and to ascertain parental knowledge of Alabama laws and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines and where they obtain this information.
Methods:
An emergency department (patient care rooms) waiting area, convenience sample of Alabama parents who have children younger than or 13 years of age were surveyed over a 5-week period. Appropriate use of child passenger safety (CPS) restraints was determined using Alabama law and AAP recommendations. Use of Car Seat Checks provided by Children's Hospital and Safe Kids, knowledge of Alabama laws and CPS guidelines, and the source of information used by parents were ascertained.
Results:
Among 525 patients identified, 520 (99.0%) participated. Appropriate use per Alabama law and AAP guidelines was 72.3% and 60.6%, respectively; 5.0% were unrestrained. Booster seats were the most commonly misused restraint. Car seats were reportedly used correctly by 81.9%. Parents who had used the Car Seat Checks program had correct booster seat and car seat use rates of 95.8% and 61.5%, respectively. Unfortunately, only 31.2% of patients had knowledge of the Car Seat Checks program, and only 40.6% knew the current law. Most often, parents stated that the hospital where their child was born was the primary (and sometimes only) source of CPS information.
Conclusions:
This study illustrates the need for improving parental knowledge of appropriate child passenger restraint use (especially booster seats) and Car Seat Checks programs. Car seat program assistance is associated with high levels of appropriate use.
