Hat tip to Elise for pointing out reporting that Sarah Palin was caught letting her son Trig ride around in a car without a car seat.
Palin held her baby in her arms as the warden drove a short distance around the facility, said corrections director Joe Schmidt, who sat next to Palin. A few days later, the governor got a warning from her public safety commissioner that someone had complained that she did not strap Trig into a car seat for the ride.
Of course, there is great irony that McCain compared Obama to celebrity Brittney Spears in an attack ad, and it appears that Gov. Palin shares Brittney's aversion to car seats.
But there's an important issue that must be pointed out: car seats are important for all infants, but they are particularly important for infants with Down Syndrome because of their low muscle tone.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Children should face the rear of the vehicle until they are at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 lb to decrease the risk of cervical spine injury in the event of a crash. Infants who weigh 20 lb before 1 year of age should ride rear facing in a convertible seat or infant seat approved for higher weights until at least 1 year of age. If a car safety seat accommodates children rear facing to higher weights, for optimal protection, the child should remain rear facing until reaching the maximum weight for the car safety seat, as long as the top of the head is below the top of the seat back.
The key reason to restrain infants in this way is the risk of cervical spine injury. Infants lack head control and in the event of sudden deceleration in a car crash, they will break their neck a lot faster than you or I would.
But this is even more of an issue in children with Down Syndrome, who have low tone making them even more susceptible to cervical spine injury. According to the Riley Children's Hospital Automotive Safety Program:
Q: How long should I keep my child with Down syndrome rear facing?
A: Keep your child rear facing as long as possible. Children with Down syndrome may have decreased muscle tone or unstable neck bones. Riding rear facing helps support your child’s entire body and protects her better from an injury, especially to the spine. Most new convertible car safety seats allow children to ride rear facing up to 30 or 35 pounds. Move your child into a convertible seat when she outgrows her infant only seat.
Basically, they are recommending keeping a child with Down Syndrome rear facing longer than for typically developing infants because they are more prone to cervical spine injury.
So, Sarah Palin's decision to let Trig ride in a car without a car seat was not only reckless for any infant, but it is particularly reckless for an infant with Down Syndrome.
Now I don't know if we should go so far as to call this child abuse, but the fact is that by showcasing Trig in St Paul, Sarah Palin has portrayed herself as a role model for parents of children with special health care needs.
Being lazy about car seats is not being a good role model, Gov. Palin.