Lethal airbag injury in an infant.

Airbag injuries to automobile passengers are increasing in frequency, but the majority of reported injuries have been relatively minor and have occurred in adults. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified a potentially lethal injury mechanism that occurs when safety seats are placed rear-facing on the passenger side of a vehicle equipped with a passenger side airbag. We report the first case of infant fatality resulting from passenger side airbag deployment that validates this mechanism.