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Safe Kids Columbia to host child passenger safety car seat check
Trained and certified technicians will check child safety seats for proper fit and correct installation on a first-come, first-served basis. The child using the safety seat should accompany the caregiver to ensure the best fit. Replacement seats will also be available for a donation. According to Safe Kids USA, each year approximately 1,800 children ages 14 and younger are killed, and more than 280,000 are injured, as occupants in motor vehicles. Many of the deaths and injuries could be avoided by using a properly installed car seat. “With hundreds of child safety seats on the market, and dozens of vehicle safety belt configurations, caregivers often make mistakes installing their child’s safety seat,” said Lezlie Dahlke, R.N. Safe Kids Columbia coordinator and trauma outreach coordinator at University of Missouri Health Care. “These certified technicians will teach you how to properly install your child's safety seat.” Technicians will check car seats for proper installation, age of the seat, crash history and recall information, then make recommendations for the best practice methods for child safety in the vehicle. No appointment is necessary. A new Missouri law effective in August 2006 made drivers responsible for assuring all children under the age of 16 are properly secured in a motor vehicle. Children ages four to seven who have outgrown a car seat must use a booster seat until they are 57 inches tall or weigh 80 pounds. Safe Kids Columbia, sponsored by University of Missouri Health Care, is a part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under. Safe Kids Columbia hosts safety events and car seat safety checks, provides low-cost safety equipment such as child safety seats and bike helmets, and promotes legislation that will improve child safety laws and regulations. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, University Hospital’s trauma services program offers injury prevention outreach and education to the community for all age groups. For further information concerning injury prevention, please contact Lezlie Dahlke at (573) 884-6381. Safe Kids Columbia can be reached at (573) 884-3660. University of Missouri Health Care’s system of hospitals, clinics and telehealth sites employs approximately 6,000 clinicians, scientists, educators and other health professionals. The system includes University Hospital and Clinics, Children’s Hospital, Columbia Regional Hospital, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and University Physicians, all based in Columbia, Mo. The health system also includes a long-term acute care facility, Missouri Rehabilitation Center, in Mount Vernon, Mo. Academic affiliates of the health system include the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, Sinclair School of Nursing and School of Health Professions. Other affiliates of the health system include Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, Mo.; Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Mo., and Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville, Mo. |
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Safe Kids Columbia will host a child passenger safety car seat check from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Boone County Health Department located at 1005 W. Worley in Columbia. 
