CHILD ANTHROPOMETRY FOR RESTRAINT SYSTEM DESIGN

Kathleen Weber
R. Jeff Lehman
Lawrence W. Schneider

The University of Michigan

Transportation Research Institute
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109

June 1985
1. R w t t No. 2. Govemwnt Accession No. 3. Reeiplmt's Cotoioq NO.

4. 1111. ond Subtitla 5. Raport Dote

June 1985
CHILD ANTHROPOMETRY FOR RESTRAINT 6. Patominq Orqmaxot~onCode
SYSTEM DESIGN
I.Pnioming Orgonixation R.port NO.
7. Authds)
K. Weber, R.J. Lehman, L.W. Schneider UMTRI-85-23
9. Pwfominq Orqaization Mona ord Address 10. Wad U n ~No.
t (TRAIS)
The University of Michigan
Transportation Research I n s t i t u t e 11. Contract or ~~~t NO.
2901 Baxter Road
Ann Arbor. Michigan 48109 4 13. P
T*I 01 ~.po,t and Per~odCovered
12. S#nswing A w c v M r . a d Address

14. Jeonsorlnq Agency Code

15. SuppI-try Noms

16. Abstract

This document presents a compilation of selected c h i l d

anthropometry d a t a , i n English u n i t s , from t h r e e UMTRI s t u d i e s
spanning t e n years. These d a t a a r e considered useful p a r t i c u l a r l y
f o r child s a f e t y s e a t design.

17. Kay Words 18. Dishibulion Stotamont

Children
Anthropometry Unlimited
Restraint System Design
19. Socuriq Classif. (a* this -$I a. ky./tyClassif. (dthis ~ . 0 . ) 21. No. of P q e s 2 2 Pr~ce

None None 34
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The publication and dissemination of this document is made possible by financial

support from the following manufacturers of child safety seats:

Century Products, Inc.

COSCO, Inc.
Evenflo Juvenile Furniture Company
Kolcraft Products, Inc.
Strolee of California

We greatly appreciate their continued interest in and encouragement of our child

passenger safety research programs.

We 'also wish to acknowledge the long term sponsorship of child anthropometry

research by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and especially the cooperation given
during the current program.
 CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................ ii

INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1

TABLE OF MEASUREMENT SOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

MEASUREMENT IDENTIFICATION FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MEASUREMENT DATA ....................................... 4

iii
 INTRODUCTION

Child safety seats and other restraint systems must be designed to accommodate the
sizes and dimensions of the full range of children who will use them, even though the
restraints are typically crash tested with only the standard Gmonth-old, 3-year-old, and
sometimes the 6-year-old dummies. Over the last, ten years, three anthropometric studies
of children have been conducted a t the University of Michigan Transportation Research
Institute. The data from these studies are published separately, and the reports are
referenced below. While several measurements are common to two or all three studies,
other measurements were made in only one study.

The purpose of this document is to present, in English units, a compilation of the

child anthropometry data from all three studies that are considered useful for child
restraint design. Because measurement procedures were as consistent as possible among
the studies, raw data for the same measures have been combined and are displayed as
single data sets. In addition, dimensions unique to one study are presented along with
measures taken in more than one study. Thus all the available measurements that are
likely to be of interest to the restraint designer will be found in this single source, given in
units more familiar to the U.S. designer.

Reports from the three studies, by date of publication, are as follows:

1975. Snyder, R.G.; Spencer, M.L.; Owings, C.L.; and Schneider, L. W, Physical
characteristics of children as related to death and injury for consumer product safety design.
The University of Michigan, Highway Safety Research Institute, Ann Arbor. Sponsor:
Consumer Product Safety Commission. Reprinted by Society of Automotive Engineers,
Warrendale, Pa., as SAE-SP-394, Anthmpometry of U.S. Infants and Children.

1977. Snyder, R.G.;Schneider, L.W.; Owings, C.L.; Reynolds, H.M.; Golomb, D.H.; and
Schork, M.A. Anthmpometry of infants, children, and youths to age 18 for product safety
design. The University of Michigan, Highway Safety Research Institute, Ann Arbor.
Sponsor: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

1985. Schneider, L.W.; Owings, C.L.; Lehman, R.J.; Pflug, M.A.; and Cook, J.
Anthropometry and shape of children's heads, necks, and shoulders for product safety design.
The University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor. Sponsor:
Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The following table provides a list of the measurements in the order presented, as
well as identification by date of the study(ies) from which the data were obtained. Figures
following the table identify each measurement by number on a standing or seated child, as
appropriate. (For infants, measurements were taken in a supine position with legs either
straight or flexed.) This number is also used to identify the measurements on the
succeeding pages, where the numerical data and scatter plots by age are given. Note that
the plots have been truncated a t age 10.0, but the numerical data include subjects through
10.5 years. For a few measurements, data are only available for a portion of the
zero-through-ten age-range.
 TABLE OF MEASUREMENT SOURCES

I Measurement 1 1975 / 1977 / 1984 /

2
3
1 Weight
Height
Sitting Height
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
X
I
4 Head Breadth x x x
5 Head Depth x x x
6
7
Head Circumference
Neck Breadth I X
x
X
x
8 Neck Circumference I X X
I

9 Shoulder Height, Seated x x

10 Shoulder Breadth x x x
11 Shoulder Depth x
12 Shoulder-Elbow Length x x
13 Elbow-Hand Length
I X

14 Chest Breadth
15 Chest Depth
16 Chest Circumference
17 Waist Breadth
1 l8 Waist Circumference

1 19 Abdominal Depth, Seated 1

/ 20
21
Hip Breadth, Seated
Thigh Breadth, Seated
x
x
i
22 Thigh Breadth, Standing x i
23 Thigh Depth, Seated I x
Crotch Height
Rump-Sole Length
Rump-Knee Length
Kneesole Length

"Calculated from other measurements.

"*Unpublished data.
MEASUREMENT IDENTIFICATION FIGURES

2
MEASUREMENT DATA
 Wei Rt (lbs)
A-
-
Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

1 f3 mot -3, +6 mot k6 mo

' _

. : . ' ..
I

I . I : , ' ;

: , , !!;
: !I ;. '1I ; !
i'llif[
; \ ~ ~ ; l l
l;!l;!i
I.'

I
0; 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
Age (years)
 Height (in)

Minimum Maximum Std Dev

23 mo, -3, +6 mo, 6

" mo
 S i t t i n q Height (in)

-N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

, . , . .
.., .
.,.:I;: ,
8 . 1
'
. :, ,: ,I .,' : ; ! : i [
!;;;;!;!;!!I:
I !iI!l,:,
;;/!;lil :i\:
';I !!::\!: ' , I;;!;I* , , : ,
8
,,::;:;; : ,
, ,
 -
Head Breadth (in) 4

& -N -
Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

I I
4
2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
Age (years)
 -
Head Depth (in)

& -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

23 mo, -3, +6 mo, f6 mo

4
2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 l0.0
Age (years)
 -
Head Circumference (in)

&E -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

.
ci
(Y
.. . . . .
, ,
,
.

n
C
ilr
e
2 i-. .
e ,:.;tJ.jy.y1:;, '.',:, . . ,
*

b 'i,;,7;.,,., :;. ..
,

E
3
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6 $-.,.i!.

3 i'i"
S , ,

9 --

91
0.0
I

2.0
I

4.0 8.0
. I

8.0 l0.0
I

Ago (years)
 -
Neck Breadth (in)

& -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

h3 mo, - J v +6mo, 3f6mo

 -
Neck Circumference (in)

9s -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

. . . .. . ... .. . .. . . . .
, ., , , , . 1
I. ::. .I . ; I : : . . ) , 11:
.,..,;,:i/i;<
:l::ll!ji!:
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.; ;. ~
.: ..,
..... . . . .-. ..... ......:...., . .,,.,
; l l ; ; ~ . l . ; ! : ~ ; : :; ;!I ~ !~~!i
, I : , , ,J
.,, .
, 8 c,,*q,$s,, , , .

. .,. ~ ~ , ~ : , ~ ~ ; . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ , ! ' ~ ~ . ? ~ ~ ~ i i ~ ~ ! ~ ~
,
. . . . ., ; , ..............
., . . . .. .. . . . .. ., ,........,.
!C'(f ,.,.,
,,,
. k.,.: ,.,.#.t .., .. ,...., ., :. .. ~. .! :. :. ~
. l;;:;
.:;
k,

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, . ,,. I '

..... ,
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_.),'. .,
, ,
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...

d 2.0 4.0
Age (years)
6.0 . 8.0
r W.0
i
 --
Shoulder Height, Seated ( i n )

& -
N -
Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev
 Shoulder Breadth (in)

& -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

53 mo, -3, +6 mo, k6 mo

, .
. .
. , "
. . :t
, .
I . ,

I , . .!I.
, 8Il:' ,:
;
I/I;~!;,!!
l!!;\[;il:
iiI.ji!jij
.,.
8 . .

. .' ..
I . ,

';.,.::,:'
 Shoulder Depth ( i n )

&I!? -N -
Mean Minimum Maximum StdDev

23 mot 2-3,+6m~, ' t 6 ~

 Shoulder-Elbow Length (in) 12

A
s -N Minimum Maximum Std Dev

.! .
g;j;
1 iz.
I '

jfj! j
;I1.\
. ,
 Elbow-Hand Length ( i n )

& -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0

Age (years)
 -
Chest Breadth (in)

&! -N M s Minimum Maximum Std Dev

. : ; ; , :. ,-:.,. *,
. ,
:!, : ; , , ! i : !
., ,:
, . , . , ..,
, . . . .,,,. ~ i i ; ,
I . , , . .
,t, ,
:l,':,ll!i;;
.,, ..,,,. .
;;:.;;:;;i;i
.!.
' , , . (
, .
.
,
. I .
.
, ,
,
 -
Chest Depth (in)

!% -N -
Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

23 mo, 1-3,+6rno, r6m

 -
Chest Circumference (in)

& -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

f3 ma, -3, +6 mo, f6 mo

 -
Waist Breadth

!iE Maximum Std Dev

0-3 mo
0.5 yrl
1.0 yrl
1.5 yrl
2.0 yrl

2.5 yrl
3.0 yrl
3.5 yr'
4.0 yr2
5.0 yr3

6 . 0 yr3
7 . 0 yr3
8 . 0 yr3
9 . 0 yr3
10.0 y t 3

2 3 mo, - 3 , +6mo, 3+6mo

d -.
, , ,

.
" 6"
h ,
E . ,
. . . . . .
, , : .. . . . .. ,. . . . . . . ..,,
. . . . . . / . . .

. '.

!!
m

, .

. , . . . . . . .. ,
., . * . . . . . . . .. . . .
/ . . / 9 .

,
8

ri"

I 8 I I I I
I
I
02 I

2.0
I I

4.0
I

Age (years)
6.0
I I

8.0
I

10.0
 -
Waist Circumference (in)

%! -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

f3 mo, -3, +6 mo, 26 mo

I I
2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 l0.0
Age (years)
 Abdominal Depth, Seated ( i n )

&!? -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

f 3 mo, -3, +6rno, '+6rno

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0

Age (years)

rev 11/85
Hip Breadth, Seated ( i n )

-
Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev
 Thigh Breadth, Seated ( i n )

-N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

 Thigh Breadth, Standing (in)

9.s -N Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev

Thigh Depth, Seated (in)
Mean Minimum Maximum
 -
Crotch Height (in)

& -N Minimum Maximum Std Dev

1 23 ma, , 2 -3, +6 mo, f6 mo

 Rump-Sole Length ( i n )
Minimum Maximum Std Dev

1 +3 mo, a -3, +6 mo, 56 mo

 Rump-Knee Length (in)

%E -N -
Mean Minimum Maximum Std Dev
Knee-Sole Length (in)

Minimum Maximum Std Dev