Hi,
My three year old daughter has surgery coming up and will be in a spica cast afterwards. I’m located in MA and curious if anyone could point me in the right direction or provide information if insurance companies usually cover the car seat or what brands work best with this situation!
Hi!
In a very few cases, a conventional seat can be used. Depending on child's casted weight and cast angle, we occasionally find that a shallower forward facing seat can work for a 3 year old (Such as an Evenflo Maestro or SecureKid institutional seat- must not have the cupholder usually, so institutional generally necessary.)
Typically, you'll need a spica-specific child restraint, though. Sometimes the hospital will loan you one; sometimes they will order or rent one through a DME. It depends on the hospital resources.
Often, a 3 year old in a spica will end up in a Wallenberg Hip Cast seat. Sometimes, due to the angle of the casting or other factors, that won't work, in which case they may end up (if the vehicle can accommodate it) putting the child in a modified EZ-On vest, in which the child lies down on the vehicle seat and is secured with seatbelts threaded through the vest.
Almost universally, insurance is going to cover any cost of this through a DME supplier if needed. If you have questions about your specific hospital's resources, it's best to see if they have a CPST on staff; let us know if you need help checking.