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08/12/2006
Concern over infants left to sleep in car seats
Young infants should not be left unattended to sleep in standard car safety seats as they may experience difficulty breathing.
Problems arise when an infant's head falls forward restricting the air supply as their reflexes may not be sufficiently well developed to move their head to a more comfortable position to ease breathing.
The New Zealand study published in the British Medical Journal examined 43 cases where a baby had suffered acute changes in colour and breathing. Nine of the cases were linked to the infant sleeping in a standard car seat. All infants aged between three and six months seemed otherwise healthy.
Experts have warned that car seats may cause forward flexion of the neck that impairs breathing and a subsequent shortage of oxygen.
The problem may be exacerbated when a car seat is removed from the car and set down to allow the baby to continue sleeping. This alters the designed angle of the seat making it more likely to place the baby's head at a forward inclined angle. This presses the baby's jaw backward into the chest making breathing more difficult.
Safety experts have emphasised that car seats are a legal requirement and that manufacturers instructions for their fitment and use should be followed.
It is recommended that babies should be set down to sleep in their cot, flat on their back, in the same room as a parent or carer.
(SP/KMcA)
Problems arise when an infant's head falls forward restricting the air supply as their reflexes may not be sufficiently well developed to move their head to a more comfortable position to ease breathing.
The New Zealand study published in the British Medical Journal examined 43 cases where a baby had suffered acute changes in colour and breathing. Nine of the cases were linked to the infant sleeping in a standard car seat. All infants aged between three and six months seemed otherwise healthy.
Experts have warned that car seats may cause forward flexion of the neck that impairs breathing and a subsequent shortage of oxygen.
The problem may be exacerbated when a car seat is removed from the car and set down to allow the baby to continue sleeping. This alters the designed angle of the seat making it more likely to place the baby's head at a forward inclined angle. This presses the baby's jaw backward into the chest making breathing more difficult.
Safety experts have emphasised that car seats are a legal requirement and that manufacturers instructions for their fitment and use should be followed.
It is recommended that babies should be set down to sleep in their cot, flat on their back, in the same room as a parent or carer.
(SP/KMcA)
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