I would think so too and given that FAA and other organizations track air travel related accidents quite extensively i was hoping you would back your claims of "common knowledge" with a bit more than blog posts of paranoid mothers or FA tales.
And my kid got a bloody nose after tripping in our living room - should i strap him to my couch?
The dangers of holding lap child on a plane are miniscule and insignificant but if you are willing to freak out over that it's obviously your call. But please dont inconvenience other pax or brainwash other parents with your fears.
Originally Posted by
swise
I thought the dangers of turbulence on flights was pretty common knowledge by now. Do you really need a citation to know that it will be impossible for a parent to hold on to a child when the plane drops suddenly? My husband (3mm, lifetime plt on AA) was on a flight where he saw the refreshment cart flip upside down while in the aisle due to clear air turbulence.
Here are some other links to humor you:
from:
http://travel.usatoday.com/experts/m...nes/43153490/1
"And make no mistake: No matter how much you love that little one, the laws of physics make it impossible for you to protect an infant or small child under such tremendous g-forces. That's a scientific fact. Most parents would not think of violating the laws that exist in all 50 states to secure babies in car seats, yet the forces in commercial aircraft at high altitudes are many times greater. Simply put, no one can argue that a lap child is not at risk."
http://thevacationgals.com/airplane-lap-child-safety/
A great article from flight attendants.
from here:
http://community.babycenter.com/post...k_toddler_ages
"As a flight attendant I saw a few bad accidents with lap children. One we hit clear air turbulence and the baby flew out of the mother's arms hand hit is head on the top to the plane. He got a bloody nose and was knocked unconscious for a few minutes. When he came to he got sick all over the place and we tried everything to keep him awake until we made an emergency landing half way through the flight. I'm not sure what happened to the child because once they are off the plane we really get follow ups on incidents on the plane. What I can tell you is he was taken off by ambulance. I'm sure he at the very least had a concussion."