Health Promotion and Maintenance
48. A nurse is planning to teach a child safety class to a group of new parents. When preparing a lesson regarding car seats, what should the nurse recommend?
Health Promotion and Maintenance
48. A nurse is planning to teach a child safety class to a group of new parents. When preparing a lesson regarding car seats, what should the nurse recommend?
. Children should be seated in the rear of the car until 6 years of age.
. Infants should face forward in an infant seat until 20 pounds.
. Children should face the rear of the car until as close to 1 year of age as possible.
. Make sure to use the automobile air bags as these enhance the safety of car seats.
Test-Taking Tip
When deciding whether a child should face the front or the rear of the car, recall that an infant's neck muscles are weak. The safest place for the infant is facing the rear since this would prevent the child's head from flexing forward in a head-on collision.
Content Area: Child Health, Safety; Integrated Process: Nursing Process, Implementation; Cognitive Level: Application; Client Need/Subneed: Health Promotion and Maintenance/Health Promotion Programs
Health Promotion and Maintenance
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Answer 1 is incorrect because children should ride in the back seat until they are 12 years of age or older. Answer 2 is incorrect because infants should be rear facing rather than forward facing. Answer 3 is correct because infants should face the rear of the vehicle until they weigh 20 pounds, from birth to as close to the first birthday as possible. Answer 4 is incorrect because air bags should be turned off where children are sitting, as air bag deployment could strike a child in the face, causing serious injury.