Safety - Inside & Outside the Home Child Safety Seats Reduce Risk of Death Young children involved in car crashes may have a greater chance of survival if secured in a child restraint system, Michigan researchers find. Michael R. Elliott of University of Michigan at Ann Arbor examined vehicle crash data to compare the benefit of using child restraint systems, such as safety seats, to wearing seat belts alone in children 2 to 6 years old. The study looked at 7,813 children in fatal crashes that involved at least one car that was left undriveable between 1998 and 2003. Overall, approximately one in 1,000 children in a two-way crash died, with 45 percent of all children in restraint seats. Compared with seat belts alone, child safety seats were associated with a 21-percent reduction in risk of death. When excluding cases of serious misuse of safety seats or belts, the reduced risk of death was 28 percent. "Child restraint systems offer improved fit of restraints for children who are too small for the adult-sized seat belt, thereby affording a mechanical protection advantage over seat belts," the researchers wrote in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Copyright 2006 by United Press International. All rights reserved. - Updated: July 28, 2006   Plymouth Health Online, along with all information provided, is for educational purposes only and is not an attempt to replace the need to seek healthcare services or to provide specific healthcare advice. We strongly encourage users to consult with their chiropractor or other qualified healthcare professionals for personal healthcare attention and answers to personal questions. Plymouth Health Online 908 Penniman Plymouth, MI 48170 Elizabeth A. Sisk, D.C. E-Mail: info@plymouthhealth.org Phone: (734) 453-7090 Fax: (734) 453-9992 Published by Healthy Practices, Inc.     © 2001-2003 Healthy Practices, Inc. All rights reserved.