Much effort has been devoted to research and study of methods and resources for providing for the protection of able-bodied children in motor vehicles. Little information is currently available, however, to direct transportation specialists, health care providers, and families in determining safe guidelines and resources for transporting medically fragile children unable to be accommodated by conventional restraint systems. Consequently, many medically fragile children and children with disabilities are transported hap-hazardly and dangerously in makeshift or substandard devices or are not restrained at all due to limited safety standards, limited choices of occupant restraint equipment, and limited understanding of how such children should be transported. There are initial effects to develop new restraint systems to address such concern as providing for safe transportation of the prone or supine infant and the casted child. Health care facilities can expand current efforts to provide loans of standard occupant restraint equipment to respond to the medically fragile population as well. Continuing research is essential in this area to evaluate and develop new products, to review and improve existing practices, and to provide health care professionals with the needed information and resources to determine safe and proper transportation solutions for medically fragile children. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference, see IRRD 837684.
Samenvatting