Overweight Children Safe in Car Seats

Regardless of a child's size – big, small, tall or short – parents want them to be as safe as possible when they’re in a car.

But what if your child is overweight? Is he or she still safe when belted into a car seat, or do overweight children need specifically engineered safety seats?

A study released by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Injury Research and Prevention says the answer is “no.” An overweight child is no more likely to be injured in an accident than any other child. But that statement holds true only if the child is placed in the proper seat for his or her size and age. And it also assumes the seat is correctly installed.

Lead author of the study, Dr. Mark Zonfrillo, says this is an important finding because some 32 percent of all children in the United States are considered overweight or obese.

The statistic is somewhat staggering, but at least parents do not have to worry about their children’s safety in a car seat.

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