title: Serious injury is associated with suboptimal restraint use in child motor vehicle occupants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between restraint usage and injury outcome in child motor vehicle occupants aged 2-8 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case review of all child occupants presenting at the Children's Hospital at Westmead between July 2002 and January 2005 subsequent to a motor vehicle crash. Injury severity was assessed in terms of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS), by age and type of restraint.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected for 152 child occupants aged 2 and 8 years. While nearly all children (94%) used some restraint, most (82%) used a suboptimal form of restraint. Injury severity between optimally restrained children and suboptimally restrained children differed significantly (Fisher's exact test, P<0.001), with suboptimally restrained children receiving a greater proportion of moderate to severe (AIS 2+) injuries. No optimally restrained child sustained an AIS 2+ injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A total of 82% of child occupants aged 2-8 years involved in crashes were suboptimally restrained. All children who sustained serious injuries were suboptimally restrained. There is a need to encourage correct use of the most appropriate restraint for child motor vehicle occupants in order to reduce the number and severity of injuries in these road users.
authors.affiliation: Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, University of New South Wales, Randwick, and Children's Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: McCaskill
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Lynne E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Bilston
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D015370:Infant Equipment / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*