Child Safety Seats for At-Risk Children

Discussion Safety is important for all infants and children. It is estimated that car restraints decrease injuries in those < 1 year by ~ 70%. About 10% of infants in the US are born prematurely and most are late preterm infants (34 week to 36 6/7 week gestational age). These infants do not have term infant physiology and are at risk for immature patterns in feeding, glycemic control, breathing, temperature, and overall development. They are at risk for cardiopulmonary events which commonly are apnea and/or bradycardia. Babies who are at risk for cardiopulmonary events are recommended to have a car seat tolerance screening (CSTS) in their personal car seats or car beds (= devices). Babies tested should be tested for 90-120 minutes or the duration of travel whichever is longer. The testing should be performed in the infant’s personal device. It is recommended to be performed within 1-2 days of hospital discharge. Babies recommended to be tested are infants < 37 weeks gestation, with some hospital protocols including babies at risk for cardiorespiratory problems such as hypotonia (e.g. neuromuscular problems, Down syndrome), micrognathia (e.g. Pierre-Robin Sequence) and post-operative congenital heart disease. Babies who have low birth weight < 2500 grams are also often tested. Devices should only be used during travel and the amount of time in the device should be minimized. Babies should be properly positioned in an appropriate device and the device should be...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news