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Keeping Your Baby Safe in the Car

Protecting Premature Babies in the Car

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SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. the national, non-profit organization dedicated to child passenger safety. Our mission is to help reduce the number of serious and fatal traffic injuries suffered by children by promoting the correct, consistent use of safety seats and safety belts.

Founded in 1980, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. is nationally recognized for program excellence, training, and up-to-date technical materials. We provide consultation to advocates, parents, business leaders, the media, and professionals working in the fields of health care, traffic safety, and education.

Stephanie M. Tombrello, L.C.S.W., Executive Director of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., has been involved in child passenger safety since 1970. While shopping for a car seat for her infant daughter, she was shocked to learn that most of the models available in stores were unsafe. Stephanie and several other early pioneers in the field successfully petitioned the federal government to require crash testing for child restraints. She also wrote the petition which resulted in the federal requirement for manufacturers to provide shoulder belts in the rear seats of all post-1989 passenger vehicles.

In 1980, Stephanie founded a grassroots organization in the Los Angeles area which evolved to become SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Under her leadership, the organization has become the premier resource for child passenger safety in the nation. Stephanie is a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor and was appointed in 1995 to the National Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Restraint & Vehicle Compatibility.

Protecting Premature Babies in the Car

In this video, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Executive Director Stephanie Tombrello explains how to buckle up the expectant mother to protect her unborn baby, how to select the appropriate safety seat for a newborn or older baby, how to prevent injuries from air bags, how to install rear-facing safety seats correctly, and the safest location in the car for the baby. She shows common types of car seat misuse and explains how to keep a fussy baby buckled up. The final segments include a one-minute car safety check and additional safety tips for the whole family.

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Car

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Auto

Autombile

Truck

Safety

Protection

Seat

Lap

Shoulder

Belt

Harness

Carseat

Car seat

Baby

Infant

Premie

Premature

Birth

Pregnant

Air

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Airbag

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Stephanie Tombrello: Hello, I am Stephanie Tombrello, Executive Director of SafetyBeltSafe U.

A. and I am here to talk with you about protecting our youngest travelers, including preemies. A preemie is defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a baby who is born before 37 weeks gestation. Every preemie should be tested to see if there is a problem for that child in sitting semi-reclined as in a car seat. Once the baby is been tested for that you will either need to have a crash tested car bed or use a safety seat that is designed for children who weigh less than five pounds. If the child needs to be in a car bed; that baby will ride side lying in the car and the child's head must be towards the center of the vehicle, not towards either of the doors.

The car bed is not one's first choice if a child can't ride rear facing and semi-reclined, but it is an important tool to know about if you need it. When you put a preemie in a safety seat, you need to be sure that the harness strap slots will allow the child to have the straps at or below shoulder level if they are rear facing. That means that the slots need to be very low. Also you need a safety seat that has a crotch strap that's not too far away from the back of the safety seat, otherwise the baby is going to slump quite a bit.

Sometimes parents feel better if an adult is watching the child, so one adult can drive the vehicle and another can sit, as I am, but with wearing a safety belt watching the baby, if you are uncomfortable about the child's breathing status. Some of these babies need to travel with oxygen or other equipment. If that's the case, you need to secure the oxygen container, to make sure it does not become a flying missile, if someone were to hit your vehicle while you are driving with your baby.

So now we have talked about some of the issues that are particular to premature infants. Next we are going to talk about some of the common errors that people make when placing a baby in the car.

Keeping Your Baby Safe in the Car

Protecting Premature Babies in the Car

Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.