LETHAL AIRBAG INJURY IN AN INFANT

Airbag injuries to automobile passengers are increasing in frequency, but the majority of reported injuries have been relatively minor and h ave occurred in adults. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administra tion (NHTSA) has identified a potentially lethal injury mechanism that occurs when safety seats are placed rear-facing on the passenger side of a vehicle equipped with a passenger side airbag. We report the fir st case of infant fatality resulting from passenger side airbag deploy ment that validates this mechanism.