NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : U.S. Warns Parents About Car Air Bags

The federal government told parents they never should let their infant children ride in the front seat of a car that has a passenger-side air bag. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that if an air bag deploys, a child facing the rear--as recommended by safety experts--could be killed or severely injured. The bag inflates with such force, the agency said, that the impact can snap a baby’s neck or cause severe brain damage. The agency said it will require the manufacturers of child-safety seats to put warning labels on them stating that children never should be put in the front seat in a car with a passenger-side air bag.