Ni Sep09 Supp PG12-13:NOV_08_p.6-13_News_legal.qxd 21/08/2009 15:35 Page 13
Ni Kind + Jugend
Preview
How ‘Impact Shield’ Reduces Neck Injury in Car Seats
A B C
- Movement of head and effect on neck in car seat using
a) 5-point harness, and b) using 'kiddy' impact shield.
‘Kiddy infinity pro’
Head to Body Ratio
Did you know that the weight of your head compared to your
body gets less as you get older? A baby’s head weighs around
one third of their total weight, which means the thin vertebrae
of the neck are susceptible to serious damage if the head is
thrown about.
That’s why ‘kiddy’ uses an impact shield instead of a 5-point harness and
buckle system. With the traditional system, a child’s shoulders are pinned back
against the seat back. In a crash, forces of impact propel the child forward
hard, yet the 5-point harness holds the shoulders and torso back tightly, so all
those forces are channelled through the first point of free movement – the
delicate spinal vertebrae of the neck. The head, being very heavy on a child, is
jolted forwards or sideways depending on the point of impact, making
damage such as whiplash to this area very likely. You need to bear in mind that
the force produced on impact for a child is ten times the child’s body weight
due to the weight of the head, whereas for an adult it is only 3.5 times.
With a ‘kiddy’ impact shield the shoulders are not pinned back. The upper
body is has a degree of freedom to move as the body is naturally designed to,
altogether and in sequence. The shield nestles comfortably against the child’s
torso spreading the point of contact across the whole width of the body. So
now if there’s a sudden jolt, the child’s whole upper body moves slightly
forward in one motion without any specific area of the spine absorbing all the
shock at once. The head is not ‘jarred’ downwards or sideways because the
shoulders are not held back, and the ‘impact shield’ provides a cushioned
platform to restrict the angle of motion.
Recent research in Germany has demonstrated that after using a rear facing
second stage car seat, an impact shield on a front facing seat is a close second
‘comfort pro’
in terms of safety, and significantly safer than a 5-point harness and buckle (1).
Further research has also shown that the ‘impact shield’ system is the easiest
in Racing Black
method for parents to fit correctly (2).
Sales & Marketing Director Bettina Wuerstl says:
‘I am a mother with two small children. Our design team work
extremely hard to ensure we use the safest, high performance
materials in the best way possible, but if they produce a seat that I
can’t use, it goes straight back to the drawing board! Being easy
to use is absolutely essential – after all, which busy parent these
days wants to spend time trying to fiddle with a heavy seat and a
complicated locking system? Certainly not me! So with ‘kiddy’ you
know that not only are the designs very safe and comfortable for
the child – they are so simple to use even I can fit them!’
a73
Tel: 07964 546125
Hall 10.2 : Stand D8
a73
Web:
www.kiddy.de/gb/company-video
www.nursery-industry.co.uk
•
SEPTEMBER 2009
•
NURSERY INDUSTRY K+J
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