Citation

Howard AW, McKeag AM, Rothman L, Comeau JL, Monk B, German A. J. Trauma 2003; 55(1): 126-129.

Affiliation

Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Ottawa, Canada. andrew.howard@sickkids.ca

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/01.TA.0000037335.24174.28

PMID

12855891

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of ejection from the vehicle among children involved in motor vehicle crashes, and to describe a novel mode of ejection from child safety seats. METHODS: The U.S. National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System databases from 1995 through 1999 were analyzed. A prospective two-center study of children involved in severe car crashes in Canada was performed. RESULTS: Only 0.2% of 5.5 million children involved in crashes experienced ejection, but 1924 (29%) of 6,570 child fatalities involved ejections. Only 2.2% of children experienced rollover crashes, but these contributed 1832 (28%) of 6,570 child passenger fatalities. Among 56 crashes, 5 restrained young children were ejected, 4 in rollover crashes. Ejection of a toddler through the shoulder straps of a forward-facing child safety seat was the mechanism of ejection in three of the five cases. CONCLUSION: Ejection from the vehicle is common (29%) among fatally injured children. Shoulder straps alone (as found in T-shield or overhead shield child seats) may not prevent the ejection of toddlers from child safety seats during rollovers.