An article in the March 1, 2009 edition of the Chicago Tribune suggested that unpublicized government crash tests from 2008 may have revealed “flaws” in car seats. While the details of the tests are still unclear, one thing remains undisputed: car seats save children’s lives every day. It is critical that parents and caregivers continue to use car seats for their children.

Correctly used car seats and booster seats are extremely effective, reducing the risk of death in a crash by as much as 71 percent. And the number of children killed in crashes over the past 30 years has dropped significantly, mostly due to the widespread use of car seats and enhanced child passenger safety laws.

Safe Kids USA always puts children and their safety first. Despite the report in the Tribune, the car seats on the market today are still the best, proven way to protect children in the event of a crash. Parents should continue to buckle their children in the right car seat or booster seat on every ride.

Safe Kids believes that more testing for car seats and vehicles can only continue to advance the child passenger safety field and improve the level of protection we can offer children when they ride. The more we know about car seats and how they react in crashes, the better equipped we will be to push for new technology and improvements that will keep children safer.

But there are a few important things a parent can do today to make sure their child is getting the best protection when using a car seat or booster seat:

• Always use the right restraint for your child’s height, weight and developmental age.

• Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions that came with the car seat.

• Make sure your car seat and vehicle work together. For example, the largest car seat on the market may not fit in a compact car as well as a smaller car seat. Remember all seats meet the same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

• Get help installing your seat the right way. Find a Safe Kids car seat checkup event at http://www.safekidsweb.org/events/events.asp. A certified car seat technician will guide you to the right seat for your child and vehicle and teach you how to install it correctly.

• All children under 13 should ride in a backseat.

NHTSA Statement on Review of Federal Standards for Child Safety Seats

As the weather starts to turn colder, the risk of fires increases significantly. Nationwide, 412 children ages 14 and under died in 2006 due to unintentional fire- and burn-related injuries, and approximately 98,700 more were injured.

Approximately 80 percent of all fire-related deaths and injuries occur in the home, and young children are at a particularly high risk because they don’t perceive danger as readily and can lack the ability to escape a life-threatening burn situation.

“Stay fire smart! Don’t get burned” is the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week, and Safe Kids is joining the National Fire Protection Association to urge families to focus on burn prevention and awareness. NFPA has organized National Fire Prevention Week annually since 1922.

For more details visit www.firepreventionweek.org. For more information about fire safety for children and families, as well as helpful tips and videos, visit www.usa.safekids.org/fire/.

As the weather starts to turn colder, the risk of fires increases significantly. Nationwide, 412 children ages 14 and under died in 2006 due to unintentional fire- and burn-related injuries, and approximately 98,700 more were injured.

New Anti-Entrapment Law Provides More Protection for Children

It’s a warm summer day and you’re at the beach with your kids.  Your cell phone rings and you answer it, shifting your focus from your kids to the conversation.  Good idea?  Not at all, according to Safe Kids Utah, and it could even be deadly.  Children can get into trouble in a matter of seconds when around water, so Safe Kids Utah recommends that parents actively supervise – with their eyes on their kids at all times — when they are in or near the water.

Drowning is the second highest cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4 and 10 to 14. Approximately 3 out of 4 pool submersion deaths and 3 out of 5 pool submersion injuries occur at a home pool. Overall, approximately 830 children ages 14 and under die each year due to unintentional drownings, and on average, there are an estimated 3,600 injuries to children after near-drowning incidents each year.

Even a near-drowning incident can have lifelong consequences. Kids who survive a near-drowning may have brain damage.  After four to six minutes under water, the damage is usually irreversible. Although 90 percent of parents say they supervise their children while swimming, many acknowledge that they engage in other distracting activities at the same time – talking, eating, reading or taking care of another child.

A supervised child is in sight at all times with undivided attention focused on the child. When there are children in or near the water, adults should take turns serving as the designated “Water Watcher,” paying undivided attention. Visit www.usa.safekids.org/water  to download a free Water Watcher badge.

New Pool/Spa Law Will Help Save Lives

One of the most horrific ways for a child to be injured or killed in a pool or hot tub is entrapment. On Dec. 19, 2007, President Bush signed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act into law.  The law is named for the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III.  Graeme died tragically at the age of 7 in 2002 after being trapped under water due to the suction from a spa drain.

The law makes it illegal to manufacture, distribute or sell drain covers that do not adhere to the standards for anti-entrapment safety set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  The Act also requires public pools and spas to be equipped with these anti-entrapment drain covers as well as a device to disable the drain in the event of an entrapment.  Another important component of the law is that it establishes a grant program to reward states that adopt comprehensive laws mandating certain safety devices for all pools and spas.  Additionally, the law creates a national drowning prevention education program and media campaign administered by the CPSC.  For additional information, please visit the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act Advocacy Web Page on the Safe Kids site.

To help keep kids safe this pool season, Safe Kids Utah recommends these precautions:

• Always actively supervise children in and around water. Don’t leave, even for a moment. Stay where you can see, hear and reach kids in water. Avoid talking on the phone, preparing a meal, reading and other distractions.
• If you have a pool or spa, or if your child visits a home that has a pool or spa, it should be surrounded on all four sides by a fence at least five feet high with gates that close and latch automatically. Studies estimate that this type of isolation fencing could prevent 50 percent to 90 percent of child drownings in residential pools.
• A pool or spa should be equipped with an anti-entrapment drain cover and a safety vacuum release system to prevent children from being caught in the suction of the drain. The powerful suction forces can trap a child underwater or cause internal injuries.
• Don’t leave toys in or near the pool, where they could attract unsupervised kids. For extra protection, consider a pool alarm and alarms on the doors, windows and gates leading to the pool.
• Enroll your kids in swimming lessons around age 4, but don’t assume swimming lessons make your child immune to drowning. There is no substitute for active supervision.
• Don’t rely on inflatable swimming toys such as “water wings” and noodles. If your child can’t swim, stay within an arm’s reach.
• Learn infant and child CPR. In less than two hours, you can learn effective interventions that can give a fighting chance to a child whose breathing and heartbeat have stopped.
• Keep rescue equipment, a phone and emergency numbers by the pool.

These guidelines apply to inflatable and portable pools, not just in-ground pools. A child can drown in just an inch of water. Kiddie pools should be emptied and stored out of reach when not in use.