Children with special medical, physical, emotional and behavioral conditions often require a specialized car seat to accommodate their transportation needs. These car seats can be very expensive costing on the average of $250 upwards to $900 per seat. Injury Prevention Services (IPS) offers Riverside County parents and care givers of children with special needs the opportunity to purchase these seats at a significantly reduced cost through grant funding received from First 5 Riverside.

The participation process is very simple and easy. A parent can self refer their child to our program by simply calling our toll free phone number and asking for a Special Needs Car Seat Technician. The most common means of referral is directly from a child’s Physical Therapist, nurse, physician, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker.

Step One: Intake Assessment

The Intake Assessment portion is completed by the referring agency and faxed to IPS. If you are a parent calling directly, IPS staff will ask you for the information and complete the form over the phone. All the information is important in order for IPS staff to select the proper seat to meet your child’s current and future transportation needs. It is very important to have your child’s current weight and height.

Step Two: Seat Selection

IPS staff will review the Intake Information and select one to two types of seats that may be appropriate for your child’s special needs.

Step Three: Installation Appointment

IPS will schedule an appointment for you and your child to come to our office. Please arrive in the vehicle you most frequently use to transport your child. Plan on at least an hour (can be longer) for this appointment and dress comfortably. IPS staff will first review with you in our office all the unique features of the new special car seat. Your child will next be fit into the car seat and harness system and adjusted to proper fit. Next IPS will take the car seat to your car and demonstrate how to install it properly into your car. The final activity to this appointment is that the parent and or care giver will provide IPS staff a return demonstration on securing their child into the car seat and installation of the car seat into the vehicle.

Car Seat Challenge and Car Bed Distribution Program for low birth weight & premature infants

IPS has assisted three Riverside County Hospitals with Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) establish Car Seat Testing Programs. This program was established based on the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations - Policy Statements: Safe Transportation of Premature and Low Birth Weight Infants (RE9617) and Safe Transportation of Newborns at Hospital Discharge (RE9854).

Research has demonstrated that some low birth weight and premature infants can be at risk to slow down their breathing and heart rates resulting in a drop in the available oxygen for breathing when placed in a semi-upright position in child safety seats. This is likely due to the infant’s immature or under developed neurological status or other underlying medical conditions. NICUs with Car Seat Testing policies in place conduct a Car Seat Challenge Test on all premature or medically fragile infants that meet the AAP guidelines. The test is very simple. The infants are fed then placed seme-upright in a car seat and observed for 60 to 90 minutes for any prolonged drops in their heart rate or respirations. If a child fails this test, they can be discharged home in a car bed which allows the child to lay flat or on their side for transportation. Infants should only be transported in a car bed if determined necessary by their physician.

IPS offers assistance to Riverside County NICUS to develop and implement their Car Seat Testing programs. IPS can also offer nursing personnel training on the use of the car beds.

For more information on IPS’s CSNCPSP, please call either 951-358-7171 or toll free at 1-800-774-7237.