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Study Warns of Dangers of Car Seats when Used Outside the Car

As California product liability lawyers, we can’t stress enough the importance of restraining your child in a car safety seat, and encourage parents to make sure that their children are restrained properly in well-made car safety seats. However, a new study shows that the newer car seat systems, which allow parents to use car seats not just for travel but also as a baby carrier, have led to thousands of injuries.

The study was conducted by a pediatric orthopedist Shital Parikh at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and the results were announced last week at American Academic of Pediatrics annual conference in Washington. According to the study, more than 8,700 infants require emergency room treatment every year because of improper use of their car seats outside their car. The study showed that most of these injuries occurred when the car seats were used as baby carriers and placed on beds, counter tops, and tables. In some of the cases, babies suffered injuries when they were not properly buckled and fell out of their car seats. They were also injured when these car seats were placed on soft surfaces like beds.  In such cases, the toppled car seats fell over and placed the babies in danger of suffocation.

Most injuries caused by improper car seats were head injuries, fractured arms and legs. About 50 percent of the injuries occurred inside the home. In 8 percent of cases, the injuries were severe enough to require treatment in a hospital. Approximately 680 babies require treatment in the hospital. A total of three babies have died as a result of improper use of the car seats.  The study was conducted between 2003 and 2007.

According to the researchers, parents must be warned about the dangers of using car seats outside the car. Even when these car seats are used outside the car, they should be placed on hard, flat surfaces, where they are less likely to topple over.

Besides, there are other problems that can come from spending far too much time buckled into car seats. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, a new condition called “container syndrome” is being seen in babies who are placed far too long in their car seats. Symptoms of container syndrome including weakening of muscles, and heads that get flattened in shape because of too much time spent on their backs. Another study also found that babies who were buckled into car seats for too long may suffer from a lack of oxygen.  Experts suggest that these seats be used only when babies are traveling.

California defective car seat lawyers often see that babies and infants are spared serious injuries because they have been secured in their car seat. California laws require babies or young children to be either safely restrained in a child car safety seat, or buckled up depending on their age. Studies have shown that placing babies in car seats can reduce the risk of fatalities in an accident by 75 percent. However, it’s also important to ensure that babies are restrained properly. Improper placement of the car seat can actually increase the chances of serious injuries.  Defective car seats can also increase the risk of serious injuries.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of defective child seats. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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