Car Seats are Dangerous When Used Outside the Car According to Study

These new systems have caused thousands of injuries, according to a study done by pediatric orthopedist Shital Parikh. The results of this study were revealed in Washington at the American Academic of Pediatrics annual conference.

Many injuries occur every year due to car seats being placed on top of counters, tables and beds. In fact, every year over 8,700 infants are into he emergency room for treatment because of accidents that occur because of these restraints being used outside of the car. Many times, the infants are not buckled in properly and fall out of the seat. When placed on soft surfaces like beds, the risk of the seat falling over places infants at great danger of suffocation.

About half of the injuries that occur are inside the home. Head injuries, and fractures to the arms and legs account for the majority of these injuries. Between 2003 and 2007, according to the study, three babies died due to improper use of these car seats, with about 680 babies requiring hospital treatment. Parents need to be more informed about the risks associated with using them outside of their cars. They should always be placed on a hard, flat surface where there is less danger of the seat toppling over.

As odd as it sounds, a new condition called "container syndrome" is now being observed by the American Physical Therapy Association. This condition is caused when infants spend an excessive amount of time buckled into a car seat. This can cause their muscles to weaken, and their heads often get misshapen and flat due to spending so much time placed on their backs. Experts believe that car seats are best used only when traveling to prevent the dangers that can occur.

Placing babies in a car seat that is properly installed while traveling can reduce the risk of fatalities by as much as 75%, and California defective car seat lawyers know that these seats spare many babies from serious injury. The secret to increasing safety is to insure that the car seat is installed properly, so that risk of injuries is not actually increased.