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Brief report
Providing car seat checks with well-child visits at an urban health center: a pilot study
  1. Kyran P Quinlan1,
  2. Janet Holden1,
  3. Marcie-jo Kresnow2
  1. 1
    Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
  2. 2
    Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
  1. Dr K P Quinlan, Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC 6082, Chicago, IL 60637-1470, USA; kquinlan{at}peds.bsd.uchicago.edu

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate a pilot program of providing child restraint system (CRS) checks by certified technicians with well-child care in an urban health center serving a low-income community.

Methods: During well-child care, nationally certified child passenger safety technicians assessed CRS use, educated care givers, corrected misuse, and provided a new CRS if necessary. The program’s effect was assessed at a subsequent medical visit.

Results: A total of 3650 CRS checks were performed. CRS non-use was found for 307 (17%) infants, 604 (50%) toddlers, and 593 (88%) booster seat-sized children. Exposure to the program was associated with a significant positive effect on CRS use (p<0.001) and significant improvements in the major components of misuse (p<0.05) months later.

Conclusions: This urban health center has high rates of CRS non-use and near-universal misuse. Providing CRS checks by certified technicians during well-child care is a promising means of promoting sustained and improved CRS use.

  • motor vehicle
  • passenger
  • child restraint system
  • urban population
  • evaluation

https://doi.org/10.1136/ip.2006.015099

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    Footnotes

    • Funding: 2003(b) funds from the Illinois Department of Transportation, and grants from the University of Chicago Golf Classic and State Farm Insurance. The program also received booster seats from Ford’s Boost America program.

    • Competing interests: None.

    • Disclaimer: The views represented in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    • Abbreviations:
      BPB
      belt-positioning booster
      CPS
      child passenger safety
      CRS
      child restraint system
      FQHC
      Federally Qualified Health Center