UAE | Health
New mothers unable to leave hospital without child car seat
New mothers in Dubai will soon be unable to leave hospital without receiving a child car seat and the guidance to use it, under a new proposal to lower child injuries and death as a result of traffic accidents.
- By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:47 October 16, 2008
Dubai: New mothers in Dubai will soon be unable to leave hospital without receiving a child car seat and the guidance to use it, under a new proposal to lower child injuries and death as a result of traffic accidents.
According to the Department of Health and Medical Services (dohms), 6,146 children were injured in accidents between 2001 to 2007 in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi police found that the majority of child deaths and injuries were traffic-related, which they blamed on negligence and lack of proper supervision.
Dubai does not have child-safety laws for vehicles, such as mandating the use of car seats for young children, not putting children in the front seat or restraining them while the vehicle is in motion.
Dr Fatma Al Attar, specialist senior registrar and chair of the Safe Kids Programme, told Gulf News Dohms would first start by introducing legislation mandating new mothers in Dubai to be educated on the use of car-seats.
"We start with education. First we increase their awareness and then we punish (if they don't follow the legislation). The law will come out next year," she said.
Under the programme, which started in Al Wasl Hospital yesterday, new mothers cannot leave the hospital without enrolling in Safe Kids UAE, which provides a car seat for the baby, information on how to ensure his or her safety while travelling and a hotline for support. The programme plans to expand to Dubai Hospital next month, before becoming an emirate-wide initiative next year.
37 new mothers have already received their car seats, sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, since the programme launched.
Dr Hamid Yahia Husain, specialist senior registrar at Dohms, told Gulf News that awareness on keeping children safe while travelling was "unacceptably" lacking in the UAE, according to the findings of a survey of 400 mothers he conducted recently.
Ignorance
"50 per cent don't have and don't use a child car seat, while 25 per cent have car seats but don't use them. The main reason they gave is that the child refused, which is unacceptable. It's not the child's decision," he said.
He also called on more laws to secure children's safety while travelling, similar to those in Western countries.
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