Prenatal child safety education

Abstract

In a prospective trial at two hospitals, 78 of 136 couples received a special 30-minute curriculum consisting of a lecture, a motion picture demonstrating the consequences of not using child car safety seats, and a question-and-answer session. Four to six months postpartum all parents were interviewed by telephone. When asked how their child rode during the most recent car trip, 96% of parents who received the special curriculum said they used a crash-tested child car safety seat, compared with 78% of those who had not received the curriculum. At hospital B, where parents reported demographic factors often associated with low compliance (eg, lower income, low use of seat belts, lower educational level), compliance rose from 60% before curriculum to 94% after curriculum (P less than .01). A car safety curriculum added to prenatal classes will increase parents' use of child car safety seats. Obstetricians and those managing prenatal care should assume a role in educating expectant parents about child passenger safety.