Car Seats ‘Not For Young Babies’

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32312, 2 June 1970, Page 12

Car Seats ‘Not For Young Babies’

(N.Z. Press Association)

AUCKLAND, June 1

The public should be warned that children’s car seats were not for very young babies, the Auckland Coroner (Mr A. D. Copeland) said at an inquest in Otahuhu. today. He found that Carol Murphy, aged seven months, had died from asphyxia through accidental strangulation while in a child’s car seat on April 5. It was obvious, he said, that the car seat had not been used properly. The bar-rest was not in position and the child was merely held up by the straps. He found no reflection; whatsoever on the makers, who had tried to do their best to make seats safe for children. I John Robert Murphy said he had taken Carol with him on April 5 when he had taken a truck to his employI er's Mount Wellington yard to wash it. He had left Carol (for a short time in the seat held by the straps but with the bar at the front un (clipped.

When he discovered what had happened he gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until an ambulance arrived.

Evidence was given that ambulance men were unable to revive her. Dr Donald Frederick Nelson, of the chemistry division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, said he had sought advice from the Plunket Society and the Consumers’ Institute regarding the child’s seat. He read extracts from letters from the two organ isations.

Dr N. C. Begg, the director of medical services of the Plunket Society, said in one of the letters that an infant of seven months could not sit securely, and if it slid down was not strong enough to retrieve its original sitting position. “I think car seats are only for those who can sit confidently and with stability," he wrote.

“It is probably better for those who cannot sit up, for instance children under one year, to travel in the lying position in a well-anchored carry-cot on the back seat.” He said he thought the Pedigree deluxe child’s seat was faulty. “There should be a horizontal encircling strap running under the child’s arms,” he wrote. “If he slips downwards this horizontal strap will ensure that he is not hung up by the neck.” “A further point is that 1 don’t' think that hooking a chair over the back of a car seat gives sufficient anchorage. On impact a car heaves upwards and catapults the seat forward as it is only gravity which is holding it in position.” Mr R. J. Smithie, of the Consumers’ Institute, said in his letter that the crutch strap appeared to allow far too much freedom for a squirming child and the institute could imagine that a very young child in particular might get both legs to one side of the crutch strap and would tend to slip forward under the semi-circular arm rest.

Mr Smithie said another point was that there was no warning notice on the seat the institute had bought “It may be hindsight now but we feel a notice should state clearly that no children below a certain age should be placed in the seat. “However, parents cannot all be relied upon to follow such advice and we feel that

r I such seats should be made j I safe in a fool-proof way.” t| Mr S. J. Paul, the managt ing director of Triang Pedie igree, makers of the seat, said e 6000 of the seats had been i-1 sold in a period of about two e years. I “This is the first real comt plaint we have had and it is a v tragedy that it should have ti arisen from this,” he said.