Question:
Does anybody have any opinions, or (gasp) data, as to which bike helmets are the best for babies/toddlers? We just picked up a Burley D'Lite, and ended up buying two different helmets for our son (who is just 1 year old).

One of the helmets is a Bell Toddler, and covers the entire head, ears included. The other one is a Schwinn children's helmet, and is a bit more streamlined, and doesn't cover the ears. We were at four different stores, and the best input I could get from anyone at any of the stores was "they are all made to the same safety standards", and "the one which covers the ears may stay on better" (at one store) and "a child may prefer the one which doesn't cover their ears, and so will be more willing to wear it" (from another).

Of course, our first concern is safety, so if one does offer better protection than the other, then that's that. But, if not... Anyways, any opinions, hints, insights, etc., would be greatly appreciated!

Also, as I believe others have mentioned, there is a "problem" with how a child this small sits in the Burley D'Lite (and maybe other trailers as well?) relative to their head and helmet. The back of the seat goes straight up, and is higher than their head. If they are sitting on the seat without a helmet, the back of their head is aligned in a straight line with their spine (think of sitting with your back up against a wall, with your head back against the wall as well).

This means that when they have their helmet on, their little head is pushed forward, so that their neck is bent and they are forced to look down - they can't hold their head up straight! Very uncomfortable (and sad)! Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to deal with this problem?

Answer: You have defined the problem beautifully. We aren't supposed to bend a young child's head forward, and helmets do that when used with child carriers made to properly cradle the child's bare head. One solution: take the helmets back to the store and stick the kid in the trailer. You have noticed that using a helmet with this child carrier guarantees discomfort, and possible spinal deformity, so it is highly unlikely that the helmet helps more than it hurts. Do you helmet the kid when in a child carrier used in a car?? He's probably safer in the trailer than in a car. (although statistics show that biking is safer per hour than driving, there are too few deaths of toddlers in trailers to compile meaningful statistics, hence my use of the word "probably". I'm guessing here, but it's not an uninformed guess.)

Try to imagine an accident in which a fatal brain injury would occur. Now try to imagine the same accident not causing other fatal injuries. Even if you fully buy into the concept of bike helmets saving a person's head, is that likely to help here, when compared with the low probability of a serious crash, and the high probability of doing harm from bending the kid's neck?

Like you, I have no statistical data to back my position and agree that a trailer is somewhat safer than a bike seat in regard to otherwise minor accidents that could be quite serious to a young child. But I think even a trailer can present accidents where the sole contributor to serious injury is a young child's unprotected head.