Correct Car Seat Usage Strongly Encouraged

New research shows that inaccurate use of car seats is causing approximately 8,700 young children a year to be injured. An astonishing seven out of 10 car seats are not installed correctly.

Many parents are using their car seats outside of the car. Using car seats, while not in the car, in places such as shopping carts or at home is a serious risk to babies. The seats are not designed for such usage.

Studies show that 85 percent of injuries are due to falls. 65 percent of these cases have infants tumbling out of their car seats. 16 percent of reported cases, have the car seat falling from a raised surface, like a tabletop. Many of the injuries suffered from car seat accidents tend to be to either the head or spinal cord.

The study concludes that many of these accidents happened because parents assume that babies can’t move, since they have yet to develop good coordinationTo insure correct car seat usage, here are a few tips to follow. Reading the car seat manual is a good starting point, to insure you are indeed using it correctly. Find a place to get your seat inspected. Always have your newborn in a seat, no matter how small of a trip you’re taking. Always remember to keep the baby strapped in completely at all times when in the car seat — whether the baby is in the car or not!