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鈥淢y daughter was born last year and I was happy to take her home from the hospital in a properly fitted car seat,鈥� Brunner said. 鈥淪he has now outgrown it, so I came back to ensure that her new seat was installed as perfectly as the last one.鈥� But the appointment turned out to mark more than just a family鈥檚 commitment to keeping their toddler safe. When crunching the numbers, child passenger safety technician Benjamin Arias revealed a nation-leading stat. 鈥淲e discovered this was our 20,000th car seat fitting,鈥� Arias said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a milestone we鈥檙e extremely proud of, and it confirms we have the largest and most successful car seat fitting program of any hospital in America.鈥�

That means lots of happy families are driving their newborns and children safely. 鈥淧arents are thankful for what we do,鈥� said safety technician Salvador Vargas, who has partnered with Arias in double-checking every clip, strap and fastener since the program began in 2004. 鈥淐ar seats are complicated, and more than 80 percent are not installed properly by parents,鈥� Vargas said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why fitting is so important. Not only do we demonstrate the proper way to install a seat along with the ins and outs of child restraints, but we also show families how to safely place their child in a seat.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 really all about teaching the parents,鈥� said Nancy Sanchez, community relations manager at Packard Children鈥檚. 鈥淲e even have them prove they can do a proper car seat installation themselves before they leave their appointment.鈥澛燦ot all car seats are compatible with every vehicle and written instructions from a manufacturer can be confusing, Vargas added. During a family鈥檚 free 30-minute appointment, Arias and Vargas certify the car seat the family is using has not been recalled, and they also provide information about ratings and laws. Additionally, they offer advice on how to use a car seat on an airplane.聽Both being dads, Arias and Vargas bring a strong personal connection to the free community service. 鈥淲e know how excited parents feel when expecting a baby,鈥� said Arias, who recommends families receive their fittings around a month before their baby is due. 鈥淲e even do tweaks and adjustments after a baby is born and at any time throughout childhood,鈥� he said.

From minivans to Mini Coopers, Arias and Vargas said they are ready to crawl into another 20,000 cars to help ensure the safety of newborns and young children. During the process, they鈥檒l likely encounter a familiar refrain. 鈥淪ometimes we鈥檒l have people come to an appointment and say, 鈥業鈥檝e done everything and I鈥檓 not certain there is anything more you can show me about a car seat,鈥欌�� Arias said. 鈥淎fter we go through the fitting, they鈥檒l say 鈥榃ow, I guess I didn鈥檛 know everything after all.鈥欌��

Authors

Robert Dicks
650-497-8364
rdicks@stanfordchildrens.org