This population-based study carried out in central Sweden is concerned with parents' attitudes towards infant restraints in cars andwhether the loaning of infant car seats leads to increased use during and after the first nine months of the infant's life. Of 937 infants born in a defined geographical area with a population of 86, 000 (test group) 84.8% of parents borrowed a seat for their newborn infants. No such loan was available to the control group. Use increased greatly during the first nine months (loan period) when the seat wasfreely available to the test gorup; but no important difference emerged between the test and control groups after nine months of age concerning long or short journeys. In the test group, use of the seat was lower for short than for long journeys during the first nine months. In the control group, in which the parents had to obtain their own seat, the difference was marginal. A total of 19 accidents involving infants in the study group occurred during a one-year period. In some respects the findings of the present study differ from those of two other comparable studies, particularly regarding the number of parents who chose to borrow a seat, the age of the child when starting to use the seat, and parents' views on the comfort of the seat.(A)
Abstract