1000 SW Jackson Suite 230
Topeka, KS 66612-1274
(785) 296-1223
(785) 296-8649 (FAX)

Coordinator:
Jan Stegelman

Executive Committee:
Randall Bolin
NHTSA Region VII

Dennis Cooley, MD
Medical Advisor
American Academy of
Pediatrics, Kansas
Chapter

John Drees
Douglas County
SAFE KIDS Coalition

John Halbran
Kansas Safety Belt
Education Office

Jim Keating
Kansas State
Firefighters Association

Elena Nuss
Kansas State
Fire Marshal's Office

Cindy Samuelson
Kansas Hospital Association

Kids with Special Medical Needs
Present Special Considerations on the Road

Safe Kids Kansas reminds parents and caregivers that children with special health care needs are subject to the same hazards - and the same occupant protection laws - as any other children when they ride in a car. Health care providers, safety equipment manufacturers and Child Passenger Safety Technicians work together to identify the best child restraint systems for kids who cannot use standard car seats, booster seats or seat belts.

"Special needs aren't limited to chronic conditions, such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida," says Jan Stegelman, Safe Kids Kansas coordinator. "Any child could have temporary special needs. A child in a cast after a sports injury has special needs."

A child in a cast might not be able to sit in a regular car seat, and there are special restraints available for kids who are immobilized. Less obvious conditions, such as behavioral disorders, can also present special considerations.

Perhaps the most common situation that requires special consideration is premature birth. "Most infant seats aren't designed for babies under five pounds," says Stegelman. "A premature baby needs to be placed in a car seat and evaluated by a medical professional before leaving the hospital." Some premature babies may need to be transported in special car beds instead of car seats until they are more fully developed.

For premature babies cleared by a doctor to ride in infant car seats, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can show caregivers how to adjust the harness straps in an infant seat and how to place rolled blankets or towels in the seat safely to limit movement.

Restraints for children with special needs include:

• Car beds. Some children, on the advice of a physician, should travel lying down. Crash-tested car beds secure them to the vehicle seat with the child's head toward the middle of the car and the feet toward the side.
• Vests. Children over 2 years old can ride in crash-tested vests that provide upper-body and crotch restraint similar to the harness of a forward-facing car seat. Most vests are designed for children who can sit upright, but there are vests available for children who must ride lying down on a vehicle's seat. Not all restraint vests are tested to the same safety standards as car seats; only vests labeled to indicate that they meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards should be used in place of car seats.
• Adaptive car seats. Specialized car seats are available to provide extra support according to a child's specific needs, identified by a physical therapist or specialty physician. Some larger seats can accommodate children who weigh 100 pounds or more.

Families should partner with their child's specialty medical caregiver in selecting a car seat or special restraint, in consultation with a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician with additional training in special needs transportation. (In addition to the technician certification administered by Safe Kids Worldwide, reflecting a rigorous 32-hour course, the Automotive Safety Program of the Indiana University School of Medicine has developed a supplementary course entitled "Safe Travel for All Children: Transporting Children with Special Health Care Needs." For details, visit www.preventinjury.org.)

"Make sure you're getting up-to-date information," says Stegelman. "New devices with new capabilities are being developed, tested and introduced all the time."

To find a local technician with special needs training, call Safe Kids Kansas at 785-296-1223.

Safe Kids Kansas, Inc. is a nonprofit Coalition of 67 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing accidental injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Clay, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Ellis, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Marion, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Riley, Saline, Smith, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson and Woodson Counties, as well as the cities of Chanute, Leavenworth, Norton, Pittsburg, the Wichita Area and the Metro Kansas City Area. Safe Kids Kansas a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury.

www.kansassafekids.org