ABSTRACT
Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death and injury to young children. Appropriate child safety seats and child safety restraints can provide life-saving protection to children riding in motor vehicles. Many children, however, travel unrestrained or improperly restrained. Consideration of appropriate child safety restraint systems for children is an important aspect of discharge planning and can provide families with the means to prevent unintentional injuries and deaths resulting from motor vehicle crashes.
Subject(s)
Health Plan Implementation , Infant Equipment , Nurse's Role , Wounds and Injuries/nursing , Child , Child, Preschool , Developmental Disabilities/nursing , Humans , Infant , Needs Assessment , Risk Factors , Wounds and Injuries/prevention & controlABSTRACT
While motor vehicle crashes remain one of the leading causes of death and injury to children, proper and consistent use of child safety seats and safety belts can greatly improve children's chances of survival in motor vehicle crashes. Children with orthopaedic conditions and children after orthopaedic surgery, however, may be restricted to specialized child restraint options that are capable of providing proper fit and safe travel for a period of time after the procedure. To assure proper selection and avoid secondary injury, parents and health care professionals need to be aware of best practices for transporting children postoperatively and of restraint options that exist for children with orthopaedic conditions.