Hospital Discharge in Safety

Discharge from the HPA Maternity Unit in Safety

The Project “Alta Segura” was implemented at the Hospital Particular do Algarve – Faro as a result of an association with APSI - Associação para a Promoção da Segurança Infantil”  and the support of  Shopping Center Forum  Algarve.

The object is to promote safety measures when transporting the  newborn infant,  on discharge from the Maternity-Unit of the Hospital.

The implementation of “Alta Segura no Algarve” in an initiative of  APSI, supported by Fórum Algarve and implemented in all the region’s hospitals where there is a maternity unit.

The first phase of the Project “Alta Segura” consists in theoretic and practical training of all technical personnel involved, so that in turn they can show the family on how to decide which car seat carrier is safer and  how to position it in the motor vehicle. Professionals were also taught how to check whether the baby carrier and the newborn are correctly placed in safety in the vehicle on discharge from the hospital. The equipment necessary was offered to the Hospitals in order to implement these safety measures.

Motor Vehicle Transport

Pregnant Women and Newborn Infants

Did you know that …

• - Motor vehicle accidents are the main cause of death and  disability in children in Portugal?
• -An accident at 45 km / h, passengers without seatbelts or a child sitting on an adult’s lap, are projected at 20 times that of their body weight  (eg, a pregnant woman weighing  60 kg = 1.2 tons, 5kg newborn infant = 100 kg)?
• - The use of seatbelts or baby car seat correctly placed can reduce serious injuries in 60 to 90% of cases?
• - A baby car seat facing the rear of the car can save 9 out of 10 children?
• -Do children need a car seat that adapts the car’s seatbelt to their fragile, smaller body?
• -Even in short rides, at slow speed, a motor vehicle accident can have very serious consequences.  Both adults and children should always wear a seatbelt and correctly placed  car seat.  

Pregnant Woman

Traveling without a seat belt can seriously compromise the health of any adult. In the case of a pregnant woman, when projected against the dashboard, steering wheel, front seat or projected from the vehicle the life of the baby is also threatened. The baby is also projected and may hit violently  or “crushed” by the mother’s weight, which is increased by the speed at which the car was travelling.

Pregnant woman should always use a seat during all journeys!

To prevent injury to the baby, the seat belt should be placed correctly:  the lower part of the seat belt below the stomach resting on the hip bones and not on the stomach, and the diagonal band on the shoulder, passing through the sternum and never under the arm.

Pregnancy and Hospital Discharge

If you are travelling in the passenger seat, push  the car seat as far back as possible from the airbag.

In the final stage of pregnancy, it might be advisable not to drive because of the proximity to the airbag - which can open and cause very serious injury to the baby.

No final da gravidez, pode ser desaconselhável conduzir devido à proximidade do airbag - que pode abrir e provocar lesões muito graves ao bebé.

The Newborn Infant

The new-born infant should be transported in a baby car seat facing the rear of the car from the very first journey (from the maternity to home), as the head, the neck and the back for the necessary support.  In case of an accident  the baby is protected. Choose a baby car seat Group 0+, approved for a baby of up to 13kg, in which the baby travels semi-seated. The carrycot where the baby travels lying down is not recommended, in most motor accidents the vehicle is hit laterally, causing additional brain damage.

Before you buy, try the chair on the cars where it will be used, to make sure you can install it according to the manufacturer's instructions - this will only be effective in case of an accident! Choose an approved model: look for the "E-tag" and check that the approval number starts with 03 or 04 (prefer chairs approved by version 04, newer than 03).

Before buying a Baby Car Seat, try it out on the cars where it will be used, to make sure you can install it acceding to the manufacturer’s instruction –  only then will it be effective in case of an accident !   Choose an approved model:  look for an “E tag” and check that the approval number starts with the numbers 03 or 04 (prefer the car seat that have the approval number 04 rather than the 03, as it is a newer version).