HHS HealthBeat (November 3, 2010)

Kids seated safely

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Crashes are among the leading causes of kids’ deaths and injuries. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Arlene Greenspan says crashes kill about 550 children up to 9 years old, and send about 220,000 to emergency rooms with injuries.

Dr. Greenspan says safety seats can reduce that, if they’re used properly:

``Parents often move their child into the next stage of car seat too early. Parents make mistakes in the way they install car seats. And parents may strap their children into the car seat too loosely or incorrectly.’’ (14 seconds)

A certified car inspection station can show you how to do it right.

An article on safety seats is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011