Is car seat research really valid?

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 3:35 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

That's not double blind.

Double blind means that neither participants nor those conducting the experiment know which group anyone is in. That's logistically impossible... You can't have a placebo for car seats.

You don't have to tell them what the study is about. Just that you're examining transportation habits of families.

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 3:35 pm

amother [ Slategray ] wrote:

Consumer Reports runs car seat studies, and they don’t take money from manufacturers.

Question- How many of you questioning the car seat data are antivaxers?

Really? I would double check that.

amother

Slategray

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 3:41 pm

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

Really? I would double check that.

What would you double check - that they run tests on car seats? or that they don’t take money from manufacturers?

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 3:47 pm

amother [ Slategray ] wrote:

What would you double check - that they run tests on car seats? or that they don’t take money from manufacturers?

That they don't take money from manufacturers. If they do then they are just an extension of the company's PR machine.

amother

Apricot

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 3:52 pm

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

Do you call anything you don't agree with ridiculous? If you don't like this then just scroll down, no one is forcing you to read this thread.

This is not about whether or not I personally agree. What you're describing is not scientifically valid or reliable. It does not meet the criteria of a scientific study. Any "scientist" who would agree to it is a fraud.

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 3:54 pm

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

I'm sure if we look hard enough we can find one.

amother

Smokey

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 3:57 pm

I would think that looking at actual statistics (for which the data is publicly available) should suffice to see actual numbers of deaths with or without car seats, ignoring the manufacturers studies.

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 4:07 pm

amother [ Smokey ] wrote:

That's really difficult nowadays because car seats are required in so many states. So even a parent who knows car seats are unsafe has no choice but to use them or have her children or drivers license taken away from her.
It used to be that we could find those numbers but not anymore.

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 4:08 pm

tryinghard wrote:

This sounds like satire. Considering the argument is word-for-word the same as a vaccine argument...

So if someone advocates something you disagree with, it must be satire?

amother

Apricot

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 4:19 pm

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

I'm sure if we look hard enough we can find one.

Of course. There are plenty of people with scientific degrees who do not follow ethical guidelines and will conduct studies that are not reliable or valid. Not sure how that will help anyone, though.

amother

Ivory

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 4:25 pm

amother [ Apricot ] wrote:

Of course. There are plenty of people with scientific degrees who do not follow ethical guidelines and will conduct studies that are not reliable or valid. Not sure how that will help anyone, though.

Any study that Big Pharma and the US government don't like is considered unreliable or invalid.

If someone has a scientific degree then they should know better than us to conduct ethical and valid studies.

newmommy22

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 4:30 pm

Freakonomics had a write up on car seats years ago. I don't remember the details but I think they felt that they didn't perform that much better than lap belts for older kids. I really don't remember the details I think it's in their first book if anyone has it and wants to read up on it

amother

Apricot

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 4:36 pm

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

Kinda feels like we're going around in circles here. What you described does not meet the criteria for an ethical, reliable or valid study in any first world country. Oh, and I do have a scientific degree. Not currently involved in research.

gingie37

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 4:51 pm

This is the most ridiculous question I have ever heard. Car seat conspiracies? For real? Do you honestly believe that a child flying through the car in an accident is safer than a child securely strapped into a safety tested car seat? By all means, risk your child but I’ll continue using my government sponsored conspiracy theory to protect my baby, thank you very much.

rowo

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 5:09 pm

gingie37 wrote:

I’m with you!
This is one of the strangest discussions I’ve read on imamother in a while.
You can find a conspiracy theory on just about everything. One way to keep my anxiety in check is by actively staying away from them.
But honestly, why get yourself worked up about car seat conspiracies? You’re not doing any harm by using one.
So human beings are out to get money - we all know that.

tryinghard

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 5:21 pm

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

So if someone advocates something you disagree with, it must be satire?

Not at all! It was because it is phrased word-for-word like the big pharma conflict of interest argument. As in the EXACT words. Very often, when the EXACT sentences are used with just one term substituted for another, there is a specific point someone is trying to make, and frequently it is satirical.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 5:59 pm

From personal experience in a small accident/rear end.
My 2 kids that we’re in 5 point harness were perfectly ok. My 2 kids that had regular seat belts and they had put the shoulder strap behind them because it was uncomfortable both had a nice black and blue mark in the center of their forehead from hitting the seat in front of them.

amother

Pewter

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 6:46 pm

OP - it can take years (if ever) for car seats that are acceptable in the US to be legal for sale in Canada. If you are looking for extra assurances - look for what you can purchase in Canada.

amother

Pewter

Sun, Feb 23 2020, 6:53 pm

amother [ Ivory ] wrote:

It's not really third-party. The US government has agreements with car seat manufacturers to require safety seats until the teenage years. So of course they are going to promote the products.
Really, there is almost no one who is objective about this.

I'd like to see a Car Seat VS No Car Seat double-blind randomized trial large enough to be significant, that is privately funded by concerned parents instead of by the US government and companies with a vested interest in selling the things.

Trial of what? Carseat vs no carseat?