CPS Conference Call

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• CPS Conference Call
• Tuesday February 24, 2009
• 1200 1230
• Please hold any questions you have for the QA
  session at the end of the call.

This conference call is hosted by MIEMSS EMSC,
CPS OP Health Care Project and is sponsored, in
part, by a grant from the Maryland Highway Safety
Office/ State Highway Administration.
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Why is Rear-Facing so Important?

• Emilie Crown, RN, CEN
• Program Manager
• Montgomery County Fire Rescue

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Outline

• Scientific Evidence Injury Prevention 2007
• AAP Guidelines
• CPS Certification Class Curriculum
• Available Car Seats
• How to educate parents

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Scientific Evidence
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Research

• Used data from NHTSA crash database from
  1988-2003
• Children from 0-23 months who were restrained in
  RF and FF seats were includedtotal of 870
  children used
• Found that children who were FF were
  significantly more likely to be seriously injured
  in all crash types

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Research continued

• Benefit of rear facing was evident in both
  children lt 1 year and children 12-23 months
• Benefit of rear facing was particularly great in
  side crashes
• Findings have significant implications for car
  seat manufacturers, as there may need to be new
  designs to accommodate children up to their
  second birthday
• Larger rear facing seats have been available in
  Europe which often use support legs or bases that
  extend to the vehicle floor to support the
  restraint. These legs are not currently allowed
  in US.

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How children ride in Sweden

• Children ride rear facing to age 4 and then
  transition to booster seats
• Volvo did a recent crash study and data supported
  the policy of children remaining rear facing
  until age four
• Few children die on Swedish highways11 in 2005!

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American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Guidelines

• for optimal protection, the child should remain
  rear facing until reaching the maximum weight for
  the car safety seat, as long as the top of the
  head is below the top of the seat back

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• What does the NHTSA Curriculum say about
  rear-facing?

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Why Children Should Travel Rear-Facing
Childs Body Proportions

• Physical Development
• Babies have big heads
• Bones, tendons, and muscles are not fully
  developed

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Why Children Should Travel Rear-facing

• Increased crash protection
• Spreads crash forces along the entire head, neck,
  and back
• Protects head, neck, and spinal cord
• CR absorbs forces of the crash

Video
Courtesy of Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia
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Direction Always Rear Facing

• For optimal protection, use rear-facing CR to
  highest weight or height according to the CR
  instructions.
• At a minimum, use rear-facing CR until child is
  at least 1 year old and at least 20 pounds

14 months, 24 pounds
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Installation Angle

• Parents should use angle given in CR
  manufacturers instructions (30 to 45 degrees)
• CR spreads crash forces along the entire head,
  neck, and back
• Correct position helps keep airway open
• CR may be moved more upright as child grows
  ages
• There are car bed options, if prescribed by
  physician, for children with special health needs

Courtesy of Kathleen Weber Child Passenger
Protection Research Program University of
Michigan Medical School
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Seats that go to 30-35 RF

• All convertible seats on the market now go to at
  least 30 rear facing
• Three infant seats are rated to 30 rear facing
• All Dorel convertible seats are rated to 35 rear
  facing, and several Evenflo convertibles and many
  Britax convertible seats also go to 35 RF

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Infant seats with 30 weight limit

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(No Transcript)
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Educating parents

• Let them know that RF is 76 safer than FF for
  children under 2 years old
• Give them educational materials in writing to
  back up what you tell them
• Educate them about how rear-facing seats protect
  childrengive example of flight attendants

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How rear-facing seats protect children

• Support entire back, neck, head and pelvis so
  that crash forces are distributed over the entire
  body and not just points where seat belt touches
  child
• Having the head supported is key, as it is large
  compared to the rest of childs body especially
  when compared to the small neck and weaker neck
  muscles

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Resources

• Injury Prevention 2007 13 398-402 by Henary,
  Sherwood, Crandall, Kent, Vaca, Arbogast, Bull
• Safe Ride News Fact Sheets 2009 Selecting the
  Right Car Seat, This is the Way Baby Rides, Check
  Your Childs Car Seat

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(No Transcript)
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Thank you for your time!

• Questions?

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• Thank you for your time and your interest in
  child passenger safety !

• FINAL INSTRUCTIONS
• Feedback Form emailed to all call participants
• Feedback Form also available online
  
• http//www.miemss.org/EMSCwww/C
  PSHome.htm
• Complete Form and fax to 410-706-3660 or email
  (cps_at_miemss.org)
• Also, complete and submit page 2 of Feedback
  Form if you would like a
• Certificate of Participation mailed to you