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I
A
CAUTION:
Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in a child or infant restraint. The
instructions for the restraint will say whether i
the right type and size
for your child. A very
young child's hip bones are
so
small that
a
regular belt might not stay
low
on the hips, as i
should. Instead, the belt will likely be over the
child's abdomen. In
a
crash, the belt would apl
force right on the child's abdomen, which cod(
cause serious
or
fatal injuries. So, be sure that
any child small enough for one is always prope
restrained in a child or infant restraint.
it
is
it
PlY
d
Infants need complete support, including support
for
the head and neck. This is necessary because an
infant's neck is weak and its head weighs
so
much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant
in a rear-facing restraint settles into the restraint, so the
crash forces can be distributed across the strongest part
of the infant's body, the back and shoulders. A baby
should be secured in
an
appropriate infant restraint.
This is so important that many hospitals today won't
release a newborn infant to its parents unless there is an
infant restraint available for the baby's f i s t trip in a
motor vehicle.
1-32
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