New Year’s babies getting a safe ride home

Newfoundland and Labrador’s first baby of 2022 did not need to wait long before receiving her first gift.

Aubree Dianne Power was welcomed into the world by her parents Jasmine Budgell and Brady Power, along with her big sister Elaine Power, at 12:49 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. John’s, where she received a brand new car seat from the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association.

The association has been donating new car seats to the families of Newfoundland and Labrador’s New Year’s babies at each of the province’s hospitals performing routine deliveries for the past 35 years. Baby Power was the first to receive hers in 2022.

NLMA president Susan MacDonald said the donation program encourages the use of approved car seats from the moment parents leave the hospital with their newborns.

“Safety is the top priority when it comes to caring for our children,” said MacDonald. “The proper use of car seats is essential for keeping children protected while travelling in vehicles.”

According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, the leading cause of injury-related deaths in Canada is motor-vehicle collisions, with an estimated 68 children ages 14 and younger killed, and another 880 seriously injured, every year.

When used correctly, car seats reduce the risk of death by 71 per cent for infants and 54 per cent for children ages one to four and reduce the risk of hospitalization in children ages four and younger by 67 per cent.

However, it is estimated anywhere from 44 to 81 per cent of car seats are not used correctly.

Parents can learn more about the proper use of motor vehicle restraints for children at: www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/topic/C2.