Infant car-seats may cause breathing problems

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Dec. 8 -- When infants take lengthy naps in child safety seats, the babies may risk life-threatening oxygen desaturation, according to a small study.

Action Points

* Explain to parents that this study suggests they should not leave infants sleeping in a car safety seat because breathing may be impaired if their head is in the wrong position, though this may be a rare occurrence.

* Caution parents that the results should not be taken as an indictment of car safety seats. When fitted correctly and used consistently, they can reduce the severity of injuries and the likelihood of death in a car accident.

Among 43 infants in New Zealand who had a-life threatening event during over 18 month, nine cases were due to oxygen desaturation and secondary central apnea while sleeping in a child safety seat, said Alistair Jan Gunn, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., of the University of Auckland, and colleagues, reported online in BMJ.