Vietnam: Concerns About Neck Injuries Unfounded

We recently received this email from Vietnam:

Some people in Vietnam now raised concerns on the motorbike helmet use for very small children (let's say under 3  year old), that a helmet can potentially harm the neck spinal of the child.

As we are now advocating for the helmet usage on children, I would like to consult your opinion on this issue, whether it's right not to wear a motorbike helmet for small children? and how old enough for a child to be able to wear a helmet? etc. I would much appreciate if you can provide/suggest any website/information source I can approach to know more about the above issue, what are experiences and laws of other countries on child motorbike helmets.

I look forward to receiving your respond and thank you very much.

Here is our response:

To our knowledge there are no studies or clinical reports that address whether or not a motorbike helmet could potentially harm the neck or spine of a small child.

What is known is that a helmet does reduce the possibility that a head or brain will be damaged should a crash occur. This benefit should outweigh the theoretical and unproven concern that there may be neck or spinal injuries from wearing a helmet.

One concern we do have is that children carried on a bicycle may be too young to sit up and hold their heads upright unsupported. We do not recommend that a child rides on a bike or motorbike until she is able to hold her head upright first.

I recommend that you continue your efforts to promote helmet use in Vietnam and uphold the national law that requires helmet use for all operators and passengers of motorbikes.

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