Child Safety Seat Inspection Day

Grinnell Police Department and Grinnell Regional Medical Center will host a car safety inspection on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Grinnell Public Safety Building, 1020 Spring St. The inspection for infant and child car seats is free to anyone who transports children, including parents, grandparents, and childcare providers.

At the inspection the vehicle and seat are thoroughly evaluated to make sure the child safety seat is installed correctly based on age and weight of child. The certified technicians will also examine the car seat size and review whether the seat appears on a recall list. To make newborn seats more safe, technicians may install a noodle to properly fit the baby to the seat and not restrict the baby’s air pathway.

Certified technicians from the Kintzinger Women’s Health Center perform the inspection. Grinnell Police Department and GRMC staff teamed up to help educate parents on baby and child safety as part of the National Baby Safety Month.

“Our obstetrical team focuses on the health and wellness of all the infants and children we help bring into the world. The inspection is for all vehicles that transport children and a great way to assure that the safety seat is doing what it should, protecting the child,” says Sheryl Baarda, RN, nurse manager at Kintzinger Women’s Health Center. “We adjust the car seat to the infant when they leave GRMC at birth. This inspection allows parents to come back and make sure the seat is still safe and fitting properly as the child grows.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nearly 3 out o 4 child safety seats are not used properly. For a child safety seat to do its job right, it has to be:

• Appropriate for your child’s age and size
• Installed properly in your vehicle; and
• Adjusted to fit your child securely.

For more information on the free car safety seat inspection, call the Kintzinger Women’s Health Center, at 641-236-2324.