Odontoid fracture in a child occupying a child restraint seat.

General agreement exists regarding the importance of using infant and toddler car seats. However, current guidelines regarding the proper time to change the direction of a convertible safety seat are still debated. We report a case in which an unusual, but preventable, injury was sustained by a child occupying a "properly" installed child restraint device. The rarity and potential seriousness of this injury illustrates the safety advantage of using rearward facing infant car seats as long as possible during infancy. CASE REPORT A 10-month-old girl weighing 8.04 kg (17 lb 14 oz) occupied a properly installed forward facing convertible safety seat located in the rear seat of an automobile involved in an accident.