Does This Sound Fishy?

KaroSnowQueen, RN · Jan 21, 2003

Had a situation this fall where a baby was in properly fastened (so far as belts, snaps, etc) car seat. Young mother, just dumb, didn't mean to hurt the baby. Put it in the FRONT seat. Wreck. Air bag went off. Hit the seat hard enough it broke the baby's neck!!!!!!!! Not the cord, just several vertebrae, and jammed it's face into the seat. Ugly injuries, lots of investigation.

Mother repentant and upset, guilty, miserable.

Investigated, mom sent for classes, etc. Baby in hospital several weeks in full body cast. Last I heard, moving all extremeties, expected to be fine, being released to mom who now knows better. BUT it sure sounded fishy at the time.

Gromit · Jan 21, 2003

Gromit · Jan 21, 2003

I've worked in Emergency Services (in the field) for about 13 yrs now, both as career and volunteer. Seen a lot of MVAs, and if that child was secured in a car seat, and the others suffered no injuries (even if they did, it would have to be a catastrophic accident, if the child was secured properly), I wouldnt buy that story for ANYTHING. Strange things happen, thats true. But the odds are VERY much against the type of injuries you describe, for the reasons you were told.

I'd DEFINATELY file a report suspecting abuse, and contact the authorities on it.

I do not tolerate child abuse in any way shape or form.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jan 21, 2003

Poor baby.

Just playing Devil's Advocate here.

One thought is that while the baby seat MAY have been fastened correctly.......an Object/s on the parcel shelf in the back window will continue to move at the velocity of the vehicle. I remember a trooper telling me about a Kleenex box that injured a child severely. Also if the front seat had been in a reclining position its headrest could have hit the seat. .

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is probably a duck....but it could be a goose or a robot......If you hear hoofbeats, don't automatically look for zebras

Occams Razor (In science, the simplest theory that fits the facts of a problem is the one that should be selected.)

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2003

Kinda reminds my of the guy that said his wife was killed by the airbag and now the car manufacturer is investigating him for murder.

Gromit · Jan 21, 2003

Originally posted by P_RN
Poor baby.

Just playing Devil's Advocate here.

One thought is that while the baby seat MAY have been fastened correctly.......an Object/s on the parcel shelf in the back window will continue to move at the velocity of the vehicle. I remember a trooper telling me about a Kleenex box that injured a child severely. Also if the front seat had been in a reclining position its headrest could have hit the seat. .

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is probably a duck....but it could be a goose or a robot......If you hear hoofbeats, don't automatically look for zebras

Occams Razor (In science, the simplest theory that fits the facts of a problem is the one that should be selected.)

True, there are the exceptions, but what was described here was likely caused by multiple impacts. Not something likely in the 'loose object scenario' (the thing that disturbs me most is the part about neither parent having ANY injury. I'd be much more likely to buy the story if they had cuts or bruises or SOMETHING.).

If I were wrong, I'd feel really bad about accusing them. However, an investigator would not just take the child away (if so, no more than temporarily -which is bad enough!) but investigate the likelyhood of abuse. At the very least, they would have their background checked into, and if they showed past history of violence (esp. to their kid(s)), then I'd say that would weigh heavily against them.

In any case, your point is valid. Only THEY know the truth.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2003

Being properly secured into the car seat doesn't mean the corificeat was properly fastened into the car. I've seen too-loosely secured corificeats fall sideways when the car makes a turn.

Could the corificeat have been loosely belted in such that the corificeat fell sideways and the baby whacked her face on something? I can imagine a fairly low-impact collision causing a corificeat to tip over. And if the baby then hit her face on the car door or whatever... possible???

WalMart_ADN · Jan 21, 2003

smells like fish to me......let us know what happens....

Gromit · Jan 21, 2003

Agreed, KRVRN, however, according to the original post, the seat was also properly secured.

Of course, they may not have known HOW to properly secure, or may very well have NOT secured it properly.

Being done with a seatbelt, if part of that seatbelt were hung up on something behind the seat itself, and then loosened while traveling (became un-hung), that would account for a floppy baby seat.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2003

That was my thought. I've heard that a surprisingly large number of corificeats are actually installed improperly. If the seat can jiggle and move back and forth, then it is not properly installed and won't protect to it's fullest capacity in a crash. A coworker of mine had hers professionally installed and it was as if they were NAILED to the car. Her corificeats didn't even jiggle a smidge, the seatbelt was so tight through them.

So maybe this family's corificeats actually were NOT properly installed?

I do admit though... my first thought was FISHY.

sunnygirl272 · Feb 8, 2003

Hmmmm.....update, please?

Flo1216 · Feb 8, 2003

Unfortunately, I am a float and don't work peds very often. I worked there last weekend and tried to find out and everyone was like " I don't know, " I guess they thought it was none of my business or else they really didn't know.. I didn't so much suspect abuse as I did the child not being in a car seat at all. The doctor seemed to suspect abuse so I am hoping she followed up on it.