What Are the Most Important Features on Infant Car Seats to Prevent Injuries: A Systematic Qualitative Review

Presenter Information

Andrew Miceli
Donovan Arnold

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Juan Aceros, Dr. Mary Lundy (Brooks College of Health, Department of Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences)

Faculty Sponsor College

College of Computing, Engineering & Construction

Faculty Sponsor Department

Engineering

Location

SOARS Virtual Conference

Presentation Website

https://unfsoars.domains.unf.edu/what-are-the-most-important-features-on-infant-car-seats-to-prevent-injuries-a-systematic-qualitative-review/

Keywords

SOARS (Conference) (2020 : University of North Florida) -- Posters; University of North Florida. Office of Undergraduate Research; University of North Florida. Graduate School; College students – Research -- Florida – Jacksonville -- Posters; University of North Florida – Undergraduates -- Research -- Posters; University of North Florida. School of Engineering -- Research -- Posters. Department of Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences--Research--Posters. Engineering; Math; and Computer Sciences -- Research – Posters

Abstract

Background: Pediatric safety continues to be a main topic of scientific research and specifically injuries sustained from accidents in automobile accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been quoted as saying “Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for children 4 years of age or older.” In the studies analyzed, head impacts were the most frequently injured body region for children occupants seated in a child restraint system. Traumatic brain and skull injuries sustained from these types of accidents were the case studies considered for this literature review due to the high nature of volume and relative interest to the problem at hand. With these facts the main topic of interest would be to limit point of contact of head/neck regions and to lessen the impact from these accidents in specifically pediatric studies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze research findings regarding what are the most important features on infant car seats to prevent injuries?

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed and of all databases was performed using the following terms: infant, child, kid, pediatric, car, vehicle, automobile, safety, welfare, social, protection, prevention, counteraction, restraint, systems, system, seat, injury, injuries, and trauma. Studies were selected if they involved both pediatric subjects and included data analysis specifically. Additional articles were identified through a manual search of the cited references. Human and ATD studies were included.

Comments

“Hello, my name is Andrew Miceli and I worked with Donovan Arnold on Juan Acero’s Summer Biomedical Research Experience.

The title of my research experience is: What are the Most Important Features on Infant Car Seats to Prevent Injuries: A Systematic Qualitative Review

In the introduction to this poster we focus on what are the defining features that we are looking for in these studies in order to optimize the biomechanical aspects in these pediatric studies in order to create the most safe environments for these children.

Our objectives of this were to focus on the Anthropomorphic Test Dummies and to look at different case studies in order to find the best research including qualitative and quantitative data in order to support our research.

Our research mainly focused on the Design and Fabrication of the Child Head and Neck Support Prototype for the child car seats. This included the Head and Neck Safety Device Tether, and Head and Neck Safety Device collar, otherwise known as a HANS. This, paired with the Anthropomorphic Test Dummy helped to create a more realistic environment to test these crashes without including a physical subject.

This research also focused on Solidworks 3D models and how different materials attribute to this Head and Neck Safety Device. The results we found were that in different studies with these crashes the LATCH/ISOFIX, otherwise looked at as ‘a’ two different types of restraints, either the ISOFIX which fixes the car seat in place or the LATCH which gives somewhat of a mobility of the car set during crash impact. The results are listed in the tables below and the summary is listed above this. The summary includes many qualitative data in order to justify our research.

In the top right we can look at Conclusions. In the conclusions we can see that the ISOFIX was the most optimal feature in this study and aided the Head and Neck Safety Devices based on these pictographical images shown in the reference. There is also references listed in the bottom right. These references were some of the studies we looked at during this research project.

Continuing this study, I would like to focus on what different materials we can use and how we can better optimize the Head and Neck Safety device to focus on children with disabilities rather than normally functioning Pediatric Studies. This is a long process and will probably take some time. The current research is listed here in the poster. What we can do is actually take these Anthropomorphic Test Dummies along with the 3D model of the Head and Neck Safety Device and run crash tests in order to continue our research which is what I am currently trying to do with the help of Juan Aceros and Grant Bevill.

In the bottom right I focus on the Acknowledgements and I wanted to thank Juan Aceros and Mary Lundy for providing the experience as well as the NIH for funding the project. Thank you.”