%0 Journal Article %T Child passenger restraint use and emergency department-reported injuries: A special study using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program, 2004 %J Journal of safety research %D 2008 %A Dellinger, Ann M. %A Haileyesus, Tadesse %A Greenspan, Arlene I. %A Shults, Ruth A. %A Lee, Karen C. %V 39 %N 1 %P 25-31 %X Introduction: In 2004, more than 180,000 child passengers aged </=12 years sought care in U.S. hospital emergency departments (EDs) for injuries sustained in motor-vehicle crashes (MVCs). Method: We expanded the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program for 635 injured children aged </=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%). Conclusion: Age-appropriate restraint use should be promoted for child passengers, particularly among Blacks, Hispanics, and children riding in trucks.

Language: en

%G en %I Elsevier Publishing %@ 0022-4375 %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2007.10.007