Study: ED providers could be doing more to prevent injuries, deaths related to improperly restrained child passengers.

Researchers from the University of Michigan's CS Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, report that both general and pediatric-trained emergency providers are missing opportunities to get critical information about the proper use of child restraints out to the families of children when they are brought to the ED following motor vehicle crashes. In a survey sent to a random sample of 1200 emergency physicians across the country, fewer than one-half of the responding physicians indicated that the parents of a 2-year-old being discharged from their ED following a motor vehicle crash would be supplied with discharge instructions that include advice about the proper use of car seats. The study notes that 20% of 1 to 3-year-olds and about one-half of 4 to 7-year-olds are typically not restrained in the recommended restraint for their age. Child passenger injuries in crashes are the leading cause of death for children who are older than age 3 years in the United States, and they are the second leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 4. Researchers recommend that resources on child passenger safety be highlighted in discharge instructions, and that emergency providers tap into their own experiences when speaking with families about the importance of properly restraining child passengers.