Couple presented with gifts

There is no greater love than the love a mother has for her child. On Feb. 14 we celebrated Valentine's Day to honor those we love, and what better way to do so than to keep them safe.

This Valentine's Day Safe Kid's Hot Springs County Chapter, Public Health, Thermopolis Police Department and Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital started one family off on the road to safety. As part of the Gift of a Mother's Love program, sponsored by Safe Kids Wyoming, Wyoming Department of Health and Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, the first baby born on or closest to Feb. 14 at HSCMH was presented with a brand new infant child safety seat and other safety devices to ensure their safety. The winners were Witni and Trace Taylor, who delivered a baby boy, Anthony William Konnar Taylor, at 4:54 p.m. on Feb. 25. Anthony weighed five pounds, four ounces, and was 17.75 inches long.

Deb Gerharter, coordinator for Hot Springs County Safe Kids, said in today's traffic conditions, vehicle occupants of any age are in constant danger. There are more vehicles on the road traveling at higher speeds and more distractions for the drivers such as cell phones, GPS systems and on-board music and DVD players to name a few. These increased risks not only affect the driver but everyone in the car, especially children.

Safe Kids Wyoming states the primary goal this year is to remind all parents and other adults that in Wyoming children younger than nine years old should be in a child safety seat or booster seat, unless the lap and shoulder belt fit properly across the collarbone, chest and hips of a child and do not pose a danger to the neck, face or abdominal area in the event of a crash or sudden stop.

A test to determine if a child's seat belt is fit properly is to check if he or she is sitting all the way back against the vehicle seat with knees bent comfortably at the edge of the seat. Gerharter said as children grow, how they sit safely in a car, truck, van or SUV changes, but there are steps to help. Use rear-facing infant seats in the back seat for children birth to at least two years of age. Use forward-facing toddler seats in the back seat for children from two years old to about age four and 40 pounds. Use booster seats in the back seat from about age four to at least age nine. Use safety belts in the back seat at age nine and older.

Remember, all children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat.

Some parents or caregivers might regard car seats as a hassle to use or a pain to convince their children to use. But Gerharter said protecting the ones you love means getting past the temporary complaints and perceived hassles. "Use a child safety seat because you love them," she said.

For more information about child passenger safety call Gerharter at 864-3311 or Serena Buckner at 864-3114, or visit safekidswyoming.org.