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Seven Facts That May Surprise You About Fatal Car Accidents in Georgia

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Because her child was "fussy," a mother strapped her child into a car seat overnight. The next morning, the baby had strangled itself.

When a 2-year-old’s fussiness was too much to bear, a mother in Stafford, Virginia strapped her daughter into her car seat in an upstairs bedroom and left her there overnight. When the mother awoke the next morning, she found her daughter dead of strangulation.

Two-Year-old Left in Car Seat Strangles Herself

Authorities said the girl inadvertently strangled herself with the car seat straps, reported MSNBC.com. When paramedics came to her aid, the baby’s skin was blue and her body was limp. The girl was pronounced dead at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg an hour later.

Loudoun County investigators found red marks around the girl's neck. They believe the child was left alone in the car seat for almost six hours.

Those familiar with child safety claim parents use child car seats too often. They said these seats are designed for riding in a car and shouldn't be used for sleeping. The said when a child falls asleep in a car seat, parents should not leave them there for the duration of their sleep or even, nap. The warned a child should never be left unattended in a car seat and car seats should not be used as a “time out” for disciplinary action.

Loudoun County (Va.) Police have not filed charges but are investigating.

The Pampers.com web site lists these safety precautions for harnessing a child into a car seat:
• Infant-only, three-point harness seats or convertible five-point harness seats are best for the small infant.
• No seat with shields, tummy pads, or arm rests should be used.
• The crotch strap should be less than 5½ inches from the back of the seat.
• The shoulder harness insertion/attachment should be less than 10 inches above the seat base.
• The shoulder strap slots should be above the infant's shoulders but not so high as to cut into the neck.
• The strap clip should be at the infant's mid-chest, not over the abdomen or at the neck.
• A rolled-up receiving blanket, towel, or cloth diaper should be placed on both sides of the infant to reduce slumping. No padding should be under or behind the infant, as the child should be firmly secured against the bottom and back of the seat.