Can car seats really save lives?

Thailand has the most dangerous roads in the region, and as a result, accidents are not only prevalent but also often involve young children.

Dangerous Thai roads
In Thailand, the weak enforcement of the law makes it seem like anyone can drive any way they feel suits their immediate needs. Annually, there are thousands of deaths and nearly a million injuries — 25% of which involve children below the age of 14.

How can you protect Your Child?
The best we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones is to buckle up and drive safely. Children under 12 should always be in their own age-matched car seats and always in the back seats. You, as a parent, should do your best to follow the traffic rules, be a defensive driver, and give way. If you apply these rules, you have already diminished your risks.

What does a car seat do?
The protective interiors of cars are built for adult bodies. Seatbelts go across the middle and over the shoulder, applying most of the stopping force to the ribcage and pelvis. On a small child, the seatbelt is simply the wrong size and would not be able to hold a smaller body in place in a crash. Hence, you have to use a specifically designed car seat for your kids. Also, airbags are designed with adults in mind. They must open with great force to protect an average-sized male from injury. This can be dangerous and possibly fatal for small kids, which is why car seats must be placed in the back seat.

Choosing the right car seat
To select the right car seat for Your Child, there are 3 things you need to put into consideration: your child’s age, weight, and height.

• From birth to 2: Use a rear-facing seat. Your Child’s weight shouldn’t be more than the seat’s weight limit
• From age 2 to 4 and no more than 18 kg: Use a front-facing child safety seat
• From age 4 up to 145 cm. tall: Use a belt-positioning booster seat. Your Child should always stay in the backseat

What to do in case of injury?
Accidents, apart from deaths, can cause serious injuries, which would need to be attended to. The costs can be immense, both financially and, more importantly, as a loss of quality of life. Injuries can come in the form of paralyzes, comas, and complicated bone fractures with lifelong care. And for most of these injuries, there are no existing treatments. If you or your loved ones are in an accident, try to stay calm and follow these steps immediately:

1. Park the car well away and turn on the hazard lights
2. Protect the area and make the vehicle safe
3. Call the ambulance
4. Assess casualties
5. Perform first aid and CPR if necessary
6. Do not move the casualties; instead, try to identify the type of injury and monitor their response
7. In case of traumatic brain injury and if you have saved your child’s cord blood stem cells, contact your provider

A car accident without the protection of a car seat can result in severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.

What are traumatic brain injuries?
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is an injury that affects how the brain works. Children can experience TBIs from a fall, when they drown, or from a car crash. 

Since TBI is a major cause of death and disability, doctors try to treat severe cases with emergency surgery to stop the bleeding in the brain or reduce pressure from swelling.

In case of such an emergency, it can be life-saving if you have your child’s cord blood stem cells stored at a facility that is open 24/7 and allows instant access. 

Treating TBI with stem cells
Nowadays, there is a new therapeutic approach for traumatic brain injury, which involves using stem cells for neural regeneration and restoration. Stem cell therapy has been shown to improve functional recovery after a traumatic brain injury.

However, the window of opportunity is small, as the cord blood must be administered within 48 hours. If you have your child’s stem cell stored with THAI StemLife, you can have it delivered to the local ICU within less than 4 hours. The company offers a 24/7 service and a hotline for such emergencies, making it possible to diminish the damage. Even for those that do not have stored cord blood, stem cells from their bone marrow could help if done in time. You can reach their 24-hour hotline at +6681 340 7676. 

So, if you store Your Child’s stem cells, you add another layer of protection to the use of the baby car seat. 

Mali’s trusted partner
THAI StemLife is Thailand’s first and largest stem cell bank and the only one with real-life-saving cases. They are the only provider in Thailand that operates 24/7 for traumatic brain injury emergencies.