Supporting New Parents with a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician at UPHS – Portage

From safe sleep to feeding and diapering and everything between, becoming a new parent or taking on caregiving responsibilities can be overwhelming. At the UP Health System – Portage Family Birthing Center, our staff is trained to provide all the necessary education to help ensure a smooth transition home after discharge, including the first step out — the car ride home.

We have a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) on staff — Callie Aittama, RN — who is trained to help parents properly install car seats and teach them how to safely and confidently position their newborn to help prevent injury in the event of a crash.

Callie answered a few questions about her role as a CPST, including the importance of proper installation and positioning, common mistakes and how patients and community members can utilize this service.

Q: What is the role of a car seat technician?

A: A car seat technician helps caregivers of children ensure they have car seats properly fastened in their vehicles and that the children are properly positioned in their car seats to maximize safety when traveling.

Q: What does the Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) certification process look like?

A: Becoming a CPST requires a four-day in-person class in which you learn about the proper ways to install car seats, as well as what type of car seats are best for each individual child and the proper positioning of children in the seats. To maintain certification, you must complete a certain amount of outreach in the community by participating in car seat clinics and other events. 

Q: Why is this an important service to offer at a medical facility?

A: This service is important to offer at hospitals — especially in labor and delivery units — because a lot of new parents are unsure of how to properly install a car seat and the appropriate positioning for babies in the seat. Using a car seat or booster seat properly can help prevent injury caused by car crashes, so we want to give parents and caregivers the necessary tools and information to best ensure the safety of their children after they leave the hospital.

Q: What are some common mistakes you see with car seat installation?

A: Common mistakes we see with car seat installation are not properly tightening the seat belt to hold the seat in place for the child and using both the LATCH system and seat belt system together in the car. Car seats come with a manual to show exactly how the seat should be installed for your child at their current height and weight. Your vehicle owner’s manual also should have information on how to install car seats and booster seats. Even with manuals, installation can still be tricky — CPSTs can help by demonstrating and/or checking for proper installation. 

For positioning the baby, we see a lot of parents who are unaware of how to properly secure the child into the seat. Making sure that the straps are secure and tight on the child and that the chest clip is in the correct position on the baby's chest and not too low into the child's abdomen are crucial steps for offering the best protection.

It's also important to regularly check the fit of your car seat, as children can quickly outgrow their current setup. There are small adjustments that can be made, like moving up the headrest or adjusting the straps to improve the fit.  

Q: Who can utilize this service? Is it only for current patients?

A: Any patient can utilize this service. When parents are being discharged, I can help them with the car seat before going home. Our services are also available to anyone in the community, they just have to keep an eye out for car seat clinics happening in the area — you can watch our page for events, visit events.safekids.org or follow other local postings of public events.

Q: What are some good resources for parents who are in the market for a new car seat?

A: Parents who are looking for a new car seat can go to michigan.gov for more information to see if they are eligible for the state's car seat program, which helps them to obtain a free car seat.