Neck Loading Model of a Child in a Car Seat

Abstract

It has been shown that children are susceptible to many dangers in child safety seats that do not involve a car accident. One issue involves the hyperextension of the neck muscles when the child falls asleep in a slumped position. Another issue is positional asphyxia, which is a form of asphyxia where the child’s position prevents them from breathing adequately. The present study designed a realistic model of the cervical spine and conducted a finite element analysis to observe if and where stress and strain concentrations existed. This analysis simulated the effects of a moving vehicle on the child while their head was slumped forward. A car seat redesign was also undertaken to overcome the afore mentioned issues. This involved employing a motor and control system.