Car Seat Inserts Lower Incidence and Severity of Obstructive Apneas

A recent study has revealed that infants should not spend huge amounts of time in a car seat, even if the car seat does have a car seat insert. Even though car seat inserts are linked to reduced severity of desaturation events in full-term newborn infants, they did not seem to influence the total rate of moderate desaturations.

During the study the authors evaluated a car seat insert which had a design that held the head upright.

The study involved 78 infants who were given polysomnogram readings at approximately 8 days of age. The study revealed that infants with the insert portrayed a markedly reduced rate of obstructive apnea. The researchers were also able to observe distinct reduction in the severity of desaturation.

“In contrast to our previous trial of this insert in preterm infants, there was no overall reduction in numbers of desaturation events. In part, this may simply reflect that term infants have greater head control, even in sleep, and so were able to move their heads to alleviate obstruction. Alternatively, in part, our observations suggest that the insert tested here may not have provided a deep enough slot for the occiput of all full-term infants," the authors write.

It is not safe to use car seats outside of the car for making infants sleep.

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Source-Medindia