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The effects of postural support padding modifications to child restraints for children with disability on crash
Lyndall Cook1,2, Julie Brown1,3,4, Nicholas Kent1
1Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Adding extra padding to child car seats for postural support can negatively impact crash protection. Studies show padding to increase recline or support the head increases injury risks for children. Firm padding or specific towel use may be safer.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric safety engineering
- Biomechanics of injury
- Child restraint systems
Background:
- Children with physical disabilities often require additional postural support in motor vehicle restraints.
- Supplementary padding is commonly used but its effect on crash protection is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of additional postural support padding on crash protection for child occupants in forward-facing child restraints.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 40 frontal sled tests at 49 km/h using Q1 anthropometric test devices (ATDs).
- Compared ATD responses with and without padding designed to increase recline or support head, trunk, and pelvis.
- Analyzed effects on head excursion, head acceleration, HIC15, chest acceleration, and chest deflection using three padding materials (toweling, foam, EPS).
Main Results:
- Padding used to increase restraint recline elevated head injury metrics.
- Toweling behind the head increased head excursion and chest injury metrics.
- Rigid EPS foam and tightly secured toweling had minimal impact on injury metrics.
Conclusions:
- The use of postural support padding to increase recline or support the head in forward-facing restraints is not supported.
- Recommendations align with standards advising against soft, compressible foams and favoring firm foam or temporary use of tightly rolled toweling.
- Emphasizes considering the overall context of child occupant protection and seating position changes due to padding.
Objective:
Many children with physical disabilities need additional postural support when sitting and supplementary padding is used on standards approved child restraints to achieve this when traveling in a motor vehicle. However, the effect of this padding on crash protection for a child is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of additional padding for postural support on crash protection for child occupants in forward facing child restraints.
Methods:
Forty frontal sled tests at 49 km/h were conducted to compare Q1 anthropometric test device (ATD) responses in a forward-facing restraint, with and without additional padding in locations to increase recline of the restraint, and/or support the head, trunk and pelvis. Three padding materials were tested: cloth toweling, soft foam, and expanded polystyrene (EPS). The influence of padding on head excursion, peak 3 ms head acceleration, HIC15, peak 3 ms chest acceleration and chest deflection were analyzed.
Results:
The influence of padding varied depending on the location of use. Padding used under the restraint to increase the recline angle increased head injury metrics. Toweling in multiple locations which included behind the head increased head excursion and chest injury metrics. There was minimal effect on injury risk measures with additional padding to support the sides of the head or the pelvis position. Rigid EPS foam, as recommended in Australian standards and guidelines, had minimal effect on injury metrics when used inside the restraint, as did tightly rolled or folded toweling secured to the restraint at single locations around the body of the child.
Conclusions:
This study does not support the use of postural support padding to increase recline of a forward-facing restraint or padding behind the head. Recommendations in published standards and guidelines to not use foam that is spongy, soft or easily compressed, with preference for secured firm foam or short-term use of tightly rolled or folded toweling under the child restraint cover is supported. This study also highlights the importance of considering the whole context of child occupant protection when using additional padding, particularly the change in the child's seated position when adding padding in relation to the standard safety features of the restraint.
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