KKH to offer parents of newborns car seats for loan in road safety drive

Expectant parents who are going to give birth at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) can sign up to borrow an infant car seat for free for a year, under a new initiative to improve the safety of children on the roads.

- Vihanya Rakshika

Some 300 newborns will benefit in the first year from the Newborn Car Seat Programme, which is supported by the Traffic Police and in partnership with Komoco Motors and Mothercare, said the hospital in a press release on Feb 25.

KKH said it treats about 400 children annually for injuries from traffic accidents. Many of these injuries—especially to the head, spinal cord, and internal organs—are more severe when the child is not secured in a car seat.

"Many of the injuries could be prevented with the right precautions. The need for families to have greater awareness about the effectiveness of car seats in saving lives has never been more crucial," said Dr Ronald Tan, the hospital's senior consultant in the Department of Emergency Medicine.