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• May 12, 2008 6:46 pm US/Eastern
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  Study: Kids Safer In Middle Of The Back Seat

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Study: Kids Safer In Middle Of The Back Seat

MIAMI (CBS4) ― Parents know that safety comes first when it comes to their kids and now there's a new study that has found placing a child safety seat in the center of a vehicle's back seat could cut infants' and toddlers' injury risks by nearly half.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found children younger than three, were 43 percent less likely to be injured when their seat was buckled into the center of the back seat rather than one of the side seats. This is because children in the center are better protected during a side impact crash.

Experts already recommend that car seats be placed in the center position of the rear seat, and this new study bolsters that advice.
 
But as parents of young children are familiar with, there are obstacles to placing a car seat in the center position. It's physically harder to strap the child in, and it makes it difficult for other people to sit in the back.

Despite the difficulties associated with putting car seats in the center of the back seat, researchers say it's the safest place for babies and toddlers to ride.

The results of the study are based on data from 4,790 car crashes involving children ages 3 and younger that occurred between 1998 and 2006. The center position was the least popular, but the safest, according to researchers.

The study was carried out the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Click here for information on how to properly install a child safety seat.

Parents can also go to a local child safety seat inspection station, where inspectors will give them advice on properly using the seats.

Click here to see the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site for an inspection station near you. 

If you'd like to make an appointment at Miami Children's Hospital Carseat Fitting Station please contact:
Child Passenger Safety Fitting Station at MCH call 305-663-6800

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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