Car Seats and immobilizing slings

U

Unregistered

Guest
Last night, my son rolled out of bed, landed on his shoulder, and broke his collar bone. He's in an immobilizing sling very similar to this one: http://www.braceshop.com/productcart/pc/ProCare-Sling-and-Swathe-51p1889.htm

He has to wear it so that his shoulder doesn't move much so the clavicle can heal properly. He's expected to be in it for about 2 weeks. We currently have him RF in a MyRide65 in the middle seat with a seatbelt install. Today, we had to drive him around in a FF Marathon in my husband's car before he had the sling because it's just too hard to put him in RF right now. He can ease himself in backwards into a FF seat pretty easily. So, we're going to turn him FF in the MyRide for a few weeks until he's healed up, or until he can comfortably put a little pressure or pull with that shoulder.

Now, we have two problems with the carseat. 1. How can we possibly strap him in with the immobilizing sling on??? I don't see how we can get the straps securely under the sling, but it attaches in the back, so we may not be able to put it on after strapping him in. 2. How can we properly tighten his straps without putting pressure on his collar bone or his shoulder?

Thank you so much!
 
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wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
How old and heavy is he? I'd try very very hard to put him rear facing again. That way the entire shell of the seat will catch his back. Forward facing he's carrying the weight of the harness on his shoulder, and if you brake hard he'll go into the harness. Rear facing if you brake hard he'll go backward, protecting his shoulder.

Again, how old he is will change how I say to leave him in the car. If he's old enough to be trusted to not move, I'd lay the binding strap down in the seat before he sits down and see if you can fasten it in the front, and just have him rest his arm on his lap. If he's 12 months old and needs to wiggle, then that changes it, and I'd buckle him in, then put the sling on and sash around after he's buckled.

Wendy
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
One option (speaking from somebody in an immobilizing sling right now ;)) is so loosen the straps way out, unbuckle the sling, and slide the strap under. Another option would be to loosen the straps way up, reach behind the seat and disconnect the strap from the splitter plate, pull it all the way out, then slide it under his arm and sling, and then re-connect it to the splitter plate and tighten the straps.

It would be equally inconvenient whether he is RF or FF :)
 

andre149

New member
I agree... knowing his age and size would help. Crash dynamics (or even breaking as Wendy mentioned) are actually going to put more stress on that injury by being forward facing. I would highly recommend keeping him rear facing. Maybe try turning the Marathon around if he's under the limits so there is less of an edge to get him over like in the My Ride?

I hope he feels better soon!

ETA: I like the pp's suggestion of unhooking the strap from the splitter plate to get it between him and the harness (just make sure you get it reconnected the right way every time). This would actually be relatively easy rear facing, and next to impossible forward facing :)
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
He's about 35 lbs and 4 years old. His marathon only RFs to 33lbs, so I can't turn him RF in that one.
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
1) I wouldn't worry AT ALL about RFing vs FFing at 4 & 35. He's well past the accepted standard of 2 & 30. . .

2) You can remove the sling for bathing and dressing, so why not do so in the in the car? He's at very little risk of doing something that will worsen the break while buckled into his car seat. (I'm assuming he's a kid that will stop moving his arm if it hurts.) He IS at high risk of incurring a more severe injury if he's not snug in his seat and in a MVA. When you reach your destination, you can fasten the sling again.

Hopefully, the geometry of the harness does not put too much pressure on his collarbone (causing pain).

Hope he heals up quick.
 

Maedze

New member
He's about 35 lbs and 4 years old. His marathon only RFs to 33lbs, so I can't turn him RF in that one.

I might consider purchasing a booster, like the Graco Turbobooster which fits young, small riders fairly well, and boostering him with the seatbelt over the non-affected shoulder, until he heals.

In fact, that is almost assuredly what I would do, in your shoes.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
Honestly, the best thing you can do at this point is to keep him RF. In even a moderately forceful stop, FF he could be in a LOT of pain (whether boostered or harnessed) from the pressure. RF the seat takes it all.

Unclip the sling just long enough to get him buckled (loosening the harness enough to maneuver it however you need) then reclip it.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
If he's remotely booster-ready, I second Maedze's suggestion. He could ride in a Turbo with the shoulder belt resting on his uninjured shoulder, leaving his sling and injury out of the equation. If he is truly not ready, then the second-best option would be to rearface him. Forward-facing harnessing would be my last choice in the situation.

(Are you by chance overseas? That may afford one more option.)
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I might consider purchasing a booster, like the Graco Turbobooster which fits young, small riders fairly well, and boostering him with the seatbelt over the non-affected shoulder, until he heals.

In fact, that is almost assuredly what I would do, in your shoes.

:thumbsup: This is what I did when my dd broke her collarbone by falling off the couch. The strap of her Marathon laid right on top of the break and there was no way to make it comfortable. She sat very still whenever we went out and I limited her time on the road.

It healed very quickly and she didn't use the sling for long. Hope your ds feels better soon!
 

April

Well-known member
My 45lb, 4 year old broke his collarbone last month. I moved him from his Radian XT to a booster in an outboard position thar allows the shoulder belt to go across the unbroken side.
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