Boost'em Before You Buckle'em!! l

[Guest guest]

Great info on properlt ptotecting our precious children.

http://www.lumbee.org/health.htm

Lumbee Health Corner

by Linwood , MD

October 11, 2001

" Boost'em Before You Buckle'em!! "

If you are reading this, then do not stop reading, because this article is

about a way to stop the #1 killer of children. Even if you do not have

children yourself, read for the sake of grandchildren and other family.

Traffic crashes are the #1 killer of children. Due to state laws, most

people place babies and infants in child safety seats. A real gap in safety

occurs with young children ages 4-8 though.

Use the following rules as guidelines to protect your little ones:

1. Place your baby in a REAR facing " infant only " or " convertible type " seat

from birth until your child is BOTH 1 year old and over 20lbs in weight. If

your child is less than 1 year but heavier than 20lbs, use a special seat

approved for heavier babies.

2. For toddlers, (over one year old and weighing 20 to 40lbs), use a FORWARD

facing type car seat or a " convertible type " seat.

3.This is the KEY RULE most people do not do! For children from 40 to 80lbs

AND less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall, use a belt positioning booster seat.

For most kids, this is ages 4 to 8. It is very unsafe to simply put the

adult shoulder/lap belts on small children. Due to their size, the lap belt

sits over their stomach and abdomen (not their lap), and these areas hold

easily ruptured organs such as the liver and spleen that could cause severe

internal hemorrhage (blood loss) in an accident!

An easy test is to have your child sit with their back pressed up against

the seat back. The child should not be slouching and should be sitting

straight. In this position, if the child's knee bend is not at the seat

edge, then he/she is too short to wear adult seatbelts and needs a booster

seat. Many kids like a booster seat since it helps them see out the window.

4.In children over 4'9 " tall AND greater than 80 lbs, the adult seatbelt can

be used. Note the BEST way to get your older children to wear safety belts

is to let them see YOU wear them. This way the child sees safety is not

" kid's play " .

5. In ALL children, age ranges, and seats, the BACK seat is safer than the

front seat. This is so true that many countries in Europe have laws saying

all children less than 12 must ride in the backseat if one is present. So,

if you are driving your child to school, put him/her buckled up in the BACK

seat if possible.

6. Last, remember no child under 12 should sit in front of an " on " air bag.

In full grown people, the air bag (which inflates at 200mph) causes slight

damage by inflating and hitting the chest. Kids though, will have the bag

inflate in their face (since they are shorter), which could cause more harm

than good.

No doubt, car safety is complex. There are a lot of seats, types, and

positions. I encourage all people to make a strong effort at this, since car

seats cut traffic deaths in half, and since Indian people are 3-5 times more

likely to die in an auto accident. Use these rules as a guide, talk to your

doctor, and go to the GREAT website www.nhtsa.dot.gov. and click on the

child safety seat section.

Finally, if your local police/fire department has a car seat check GO and

make sure you have the right seat and position. No matter if you drive a

Mustang or Thunderbird, a Lexus or a Pinto, show your child your love by

caring enough to buckle him/her up correctly, and let them see YOU always

wearing your seatbelt!