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Improper use of car seats outside the car can result in injuries to infants. To determine the number and characteristics of car seat injuries sustained outside the car, researchers analyzed surveillance data on consumer product–related injuries in infants younger than 1 year treated in a nationally representative sample of U.S. emergency departments (EDs) from 2003 to 2007. Injuries sustained during motor vehicle accidents or in infant carriers, bouncy chairs, or other related products were excluded.
The estimated average number of car seat–related injuries sustained outside the car was 8712 per year. Most infants (62%) were younger than 4 months. Head and neck injuries were the most common injury (84%) and were twice as common in infants yo…