description
PROBLEM: Children die mostly as occupants of motor vehicles in Slovenia. Yet approximately 52% of children do not ride appropriately restrained. BJECTIVES:To asses parental attitudes to car seat use by newborns to provide an epidemiological basis for preventive programmes. METHOD: Cross sectional survey was done in slovenian maternity hospitals. 1034 mothers were gathered up in the survey and there was 80% response. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated with the 95% confidence interval and the statistical significance at pL0.05. RESULTS: Parents intend to take their baby home using carrycot (58,2%), using infant seat from group 0 (28,2%), infant seat from group 0+ (6,8% and on their lap (5,8%). Young mothers (15-24 years) will take their baby home on their lap or using carrycot 1,5 times more frequently than older mothers (OR=1,51 (1,05-2,17); p=0,03) and mothers with low educational level twice as frequently as mothers with higher educational level (OR=2,17 (1,46-3,25); p<0,001). Families with more than one child intend to borrow infant seat 1,9 times more often than families with only one child (OR= 1,92 (1,38-2,68); p<0.001). If there was organized car seat rental service, families from lower socio-economic classes would rent the car seat 1,9 times more frequently than those from higher socio-economic classes (OR=1,87 (1,26-2,77); p=0,001 ). They suggest car seat rental program to be implementedat maternity hospitals (38,3%) or health care centres (23,2%). CONCLUSIONS: Development of preventive programs especially for young parents is necessary. Car seat rental program may increase car seat use by newborns infamilies from lower socio-economic classes.