Child passenger restraint use and emergency department--reported injuries: a special study using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program, 2004.
BACKGROUND
In 2004, more than 180,000 child passengers aged <or=12 years sought care in U.S. hospital emergency departments (EDs) for injuries sustained in motor-vehicle crashes (MVCs).


METHODS
We expanded the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program for 635 injured children aged <or=12 years treated at 15 hospital EDs in 2004 by collecting multiple injury diagnoses and interviewing parents about MVC circumstances.


RESULTS
Nine percent of the children were unrestrained and 36% were inappropriately restrained. Blacks and Hispanics were about six times more likely to be unrestrained than Non-Hispanic Whites (12% and 14%, respectively, vs. 2%). Seventy-seven percent of inappropriate restraint use occurred among children aged 4-8 years, who were prematurely placed in seatbelts. Eight percent of children required hospitalization; unrestrained children were three times more likely to be hospitalized than restrained children (21% vs. 7%).


CONCLUSIONS
Age-appropriate restraint use should be promoted for child passengers, particularly among Blacks, Hispanics, and children riding in trucks.
Lee
Karen C
KC
Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA.
Shults
Ruth A
RA
Greenspan
Arlene I
AI
Haileyesus
Tadesse
T
Dellinger
Ann M
AM
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*