‘If you use this, get rid of it’: Ex-paramedic’s car seat warning

A former Victorian paramedic who specialises in child safety has warned parents about the dangers of a popular car seat accessory.

Nikki Jurcutz, the co-founder of first aid training program Tiny Hearts Education and an ex-paramedic, told parents she would never consider using a car seat head strap for her children as they can pose a strangulation hazard.

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“These car seat accessories are marketed as a way to prevent your child’s head from slumping forward or rolling when they sleep in the car seat,” Ms Jurcutz explained in an Instagram post.

“The head strap could slip down and cover the child’s mouth or even pose as a strangulation risk around the child’s neck.”

“There was also a reported strangulation incident when the strap slipped in a rollover car accident.”

Various Instagram users expressed their concern and frustration at some companies' false safety claims relating to head straps in the original video post.

One user stated, “I hate products that are marketed for children but not safety-tested”.

“Imagine being a parent using that head strap to keep their baby safe and it’s ultimately the reason you lose them.”

Another Instagram commenter explained the dangerous consequences of head straps in the event of an accident.

“The head strap also poses a risk of snapping the neck in an accident when the body moves forwards and the head can’t,” they said.

“They have never been crash-tested, so no idea what they could do to your child.”

While these head strap products are advertised as a safety accessory, they are not recommended by experts and authorities due to a possible strangulation risk.

Professor Lynne Bilston from the Transurban Road Safety Centre at Neuroscience Research Australia told Drive, "While it might seem like a good idea to prop your child's head up with one of these straps, they are not safe.

"They apply forces directly to a child's head, which can cause injury to their delicate neck. They are also dangerous outside of crashes, as they can slip down over the child's face or even down onto the neck and stop the child from breathing."

Though it might feel counterintuitive to let your child's head slump forward while the car is moving, experts recommend this is the safest course of action provided they are properly restrained with car seat restraints.

"If a child restraint is installed correctly and the child is correctly strapped into it, this is the safest they can be," Professor Bilston said.

In November 2021, a grief-stricken woman took to Facebook to warn parents about the dangers of the head strap after her eighth-month-old nephew passed away in a car accident.

“I lost my beautiful nephew. They got in a car accident when the car flipped,” she said.

“The car seat did its job; however, this car seat add-on is what suffocated and killed him as it slid down and out of place.

“If you use this or anything similar, please, please get rid of it. It’s not worth it. Anything that doesn’t come with the car seat shouldn’t be used.”