2007-2008

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Side-impact Protection of Children in Child Restraint Systems

The objective of this research study was to analyze, using mathematical models, the side impact methods currently being used and the effectiveness of protection offered to children in child restraint systems in a side impact.

Using MADYMO to Evaluate and Quantify the Effect of the Misuse of Vehicle LATCH Anchor Points in a Vehicle Environment

This study utilized mathematical models to analyze the effects of misuse, namely the effect of variation in the LATCH attachment configurations that are either narrower or wider than the standard 280 mm.

Abdominal Injuries in Children in Belt Positioning Booster Seats

Principal Investigator: Jessica Jermakian, DSc

The objective of this project was to gain an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of abdominal injuries in booster-seated children and the crash and restraint factors influencing the injuries by examining field data experience.

Child Occupant Surveillance: A Feasibility Study

Principal Investigator: Jessica Jermakian, DSc

This study evaluated the potential transition of CHOP's current child-focused motor vehicle crash surveillance system, Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS), to a national system that leverages the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash research infrastructure. The feasibility study determined the viability of new methods, the quality of the potential data, the likelihood of and method for securing appropriate funding, and…

2006-2007

Child Booster Seat use in China: A Focus Group Study

This study investigated the amount of knowledge relating to child restraint systems, specifically booster seats, that parents in Beijing, China possess. This information was then used to select and design interventions targeted toward parents in Beijing. These interventions were shown to parents in Fall 2007 and researchers collected the reactions and behavioral changes resulting from the programs. Booster seats were provided to enrolled parents, allowing for actual behavior changes to be monitored throughout the course of the study.

Extending Rear-facing Recommendations to Children Over Age One

This study examined patterns of injury to children in rear-facing child restraint systems and forward-facing child restraint systems in order to provide evidence for the potential benefit of extending rear-facing recommendations to children over age one.

Comparative Performance of the Hybrid III 3C and Q3 Dummy Necks in Simulated Frontal Crashes

Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

At the time this research was conducted, two anthropometric test devices (ATDs) representing the 3-year-old human child existed -- the Q3 and the Hybrid III 3C. When used to evaluate safety systems, each yielded different neck injury criteria metrics. The project goal was to build on the quasistatic testing by examining the performance of the necks in a simulated frontal FMVSS No. 213 crash. The results of this research were used to determine how…

Injury Mechanisms in Belt-restrained Children in Side Impact Crashes

Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

The research delineated injury mechanisms for children involved in side impact crashes and highlighted the differences and similarities between adult and child injury patterns. The research helped determine when adult safety system concepts can be applied to children and when they cannot. It also described the patterns and mechanisms of injuries, such as abdominal or upper extremity, or injuries to various organs experienced by belt-restrained…

Accidental Head Injuries in Young Children: Integrated Epidemiological and Biomechanical Analysis

This research was based on the hypothesis that accidental head injury outcomes are better for older children than infants due to biomechanical and developmental differences. A retrospective single-center cohort study and anthropomorphic surrogate experiments were conducted to correlate age-specific biomechanical factors and environmental circumstances associated with accidental head injury. The information garnered from this project helped CChIPS target high-priority opportunities to enhance child safety via effective public education and improved safety in automotive, home, and play…

Development of a Rear Facing Child Restraint System Finite Element Model

The objective of this study was to begin the process of building the database of child seats by developing a geometrically well-defined rear facing infant seat. Testing of the plastic material was conducted in accordance with ASTM D638-03 standards. A rigid body and finite element-based computational models were developed. The models were exercised in both MADYMO and LS-DYNA. Occupant responses in both models were also comparatively studied.

Understanding the Variation of Accelerations Experienced by Rear-seated Occupants

This study gathered acceleration data from the rear cross members of a sample of popular passenger cars, SUVs and minivans of model years ranging from 1980 to 2005 that have undergone NCAP testing. Analysis was conducted of the rear cross member acceleration data by model year of every sampled vehicle to determine the change in acceleration over the years. The effect of this variation in acceleration was quantified with the help of a MADYMO model. These results helped researchers understand and quantify the variation of these accelerations based on dummy performance.

Feasibility of Using CHOP's Practice-based Research Network (PBRN) as a Recruitment Tool

The study tested the feasibility of using an electronic research network in primary care physician offices to recruit teenage drivers as research participants. A secondary goal was to develop a system for recruitment in other traffic injury prevention research projects. The study's broad long-term objective was to develop a system for providing consistent and current traffic injury prevention information through primary care physician offices.

2005-2006

Cervical Range of Motion in Young Children

Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

This study obtained active range of motion measurements on normal, healthy 3 to 10-year-old children. This not previously available data was used to inform enhancements to child dummy design.

Lower Extremity Injuries in Children Seated in Forward Facing Child Restraint Systems

Principal Investigator: Jessica Jermakian, DSc

This study described the spectrum of lower extremity injuries to children in forward-facing child restraints seen at a level one pediatric trauma center. This study involved both prospective and retrospective full-scale crash investigations.

Effect of High Back Booster Seat Seating Angle and Seat Belt Positioning on Injury Metrics of a 6-year-old ATD

Previous research at TraumaLink revealed differential performance among various high back booster seat designs during sled tests. This study conducted a parametric analysis thru mathematical modeling to explore design differences on injury metrics.

Misuse Study of LATCH Attachments: A Series of Sled Tests

A case of severe cervical spine injury in a toddler was previously identified and investigated by the engineering team at TraumaLink. This child was restrained in a new child restraint with LATCH attachment, and loose attachment was one proposed injury mechanism. This study conducted a series of sled tests to examine the effects of loose attachment on injury risk.

Identifying Motor Vehicle Crash Characteristics for Anatomic-specific Fatal Injuries in Child Occupants

Principal Investigator: Michael L. Nance, MD

This study correlated anatomic fatal injuries of children with causative motor vehicle crash dynamics. It involved creating a new injury resource, a linked dataset including the Fatal Analysis Reporting System and the Multiple Cause of Death database.