7 Small Changes That Will Make The Difference With Your Newborn Car Seat
Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat A car seat for newborns is also known as a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It is designed to protect infants against injuries and deaths in vehicle accidents. The harness distributes the restraint force across the body and head of the child instead of the spinal cord or neck. They are available in rear-facing and convertible versions, and come with the option of varying weights and height limits. They could also be part of a travel system that clicks into and out of a stroller base. Rear-facing Rear-facing infant car seats provide unmatched protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to support and cradle children, protecting their neck, spine, and head. They also help reduce injuries by stopping the impact of an accident from striking your child. This is because your child's body is not collision-prone with the car seat or the front seat, but instead the soft, cushioned surface inside their car seat. According to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Parents should keep their child facing rearwards until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. Around the age of one, most children will outgrow the infant car seat and transition to a convertible car seat that can be oriented forward. However, many parents want to keep their child in a rear-facing seat until the 2nd birthday of their child. There are two main types of rear-facing car seats convertible car seats. Both are equally secure, but offer different conveniences. Infant-only seats, for example are smaller and lighter. They also come with the quick-release base which can be removed from the vehicle and attached to the stroller. Convertible car seats are bigger and heavier, but they do not come with an integrated base for strollers. It is crucial that you always use the back seat regardless of the seat type. You can also put a blanket that is tightly rolled or washcloth between the crotch straps and your child to ensure that the harness is secure. In addition, make sure that the lower anchors are attached to the lower attachment points of your vehicle's lower anchor bars and that the car seat is correctly installed and secured. Research has shown that babies who face the rear of the car are less likely to get injured in a car accident. Car seats with rear-facing infants also experience less impact when they crash into the front of the car, as opposed to the back of the car seat, which could result in serious injuries. Forward-facing The majority of parents have spent a lot of time into their infant car seat. It was a major item on the baby registry, and how you got your little one home from the hospital. Now that your child is getting older though, you might be thinking about changing the car seat forward-facing. However, it's important to be aware that children aren't quite ready until they reach the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat. Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at minimum 20 pounds and reaches the age of one year. Children under one year old don't have the neck muscles necessary to resist whiplash resulting from being hit in a crash. They are also at greater risk of suffering from spinal injuries when involved in head-on collisions. You can buy a convertible car seat or an all-in-one one that will allow you to keep the child rear-facing until the child reaches the weight and height limit of the seat. These seats are usually bucket-style infant car seats that connect to a base for placement in your vehicle. The base can be removed and connected to strollers to form a travel system. However, they tend to have lower maximum weight and height limits than a standard convertible car seat. You can also purchase a booster seat. These are usually equipped with a harness for young children and can be converted into a belt-positioning booster seat once your child is ready for it. This type of car seat has the principal benefit of being used in your vehicle throughout the duration of your child's childhood which makes it much easier to move them from one vehicle into another. No matter what car seat you choose be sure to read the instruction manual and follow the instructions for installation. Consult a certified car safety technician to ensure that your child's car seat is properly installed and used properly. The misuse of car seats is common, and well-meaning parents could injure their children if they don't know what they're doing. The best way to prevent this is by reading the instructions for your car seat and following the recommendations of a CPST. Convertible Many parents opt for convertible car seats for newborns since they can grow with your baby, allowing them to travel safely from infanthood to toddlerhood. These seats are also less expensive than car seats for infants and have a long lifespan. It's important to select the right model that is compatible with your car and is easy to install. Also, make sure to protect your baby by buckling them up properly every time. Snug straps stop the head from shifting into the dangerous chest-to-chin position that could lead to strangulation or even asphyxiation. Many infant car seats have straps that are not buckled or loose. This is a serious safety issue. Straps that are not buckled can cause necks to hang and cause of many accidents. If the crotch strap has not been enough tight to pass a pinch test, it could cause danger. This test will determine whether the crotch strap is sufficiently tight to stop the legs of a newborn from sliding in the seat, causing them to get trapped or cut. Some convertible infant car seats have adjustable torso-height, which allows you to adjust the height limit based on your child's development. The minimum torso must be at least the height of the shoulders of your infant, or an inch lower. Some models include an infant insert that can aid in raising your child up to the correct height. The ideal convertible car seat for infants should be snug, have soft padding and a slim base that allows you to fit it into your vehicle. It should also come with a snug, tight harness that passes the pinch test as well as a short, tightly rolled towel or blanket in case in the event of an accident. It should also come with an attachment tether to the anchor points of your vehicle, which could help reduce injuries during an accident by reducing the force of impact. It should also include the travel set that includes a stroller and car seat that you can use to transfer your infant from the vehicle to the stroller. pushchairsandprams.uk must take into consideration when selecting the right car seat for their babies. However, car seats are a must-have for families with young children because using them reduces the chance of fatal motor vehicle collision injuries by 71 percent. The decision between a baby car seat and a convertible car seat comes down to a few key factors such as safety features and compatibility with your vehicle, and ease of use. Car seats for infants are designed with a newborn's fragile physiology in mind. They typically have a base that stays in the car and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from car to stroller and back without disturbing them. They come with a crotch and harness that are built-in to keep your child safe. Some infant cars also come with side impact protection that distributes crash force away from the infant's head and neck. They are made of metal, plastic, and foam that absorbs energy and protects the head of the infant from direct contact with the frame of the vehicle or other objects in the event of a collision. Some have a special sock that extends from the door to shield the head of the child. Another safety feature that's becoming more prevalent in car seats for newborns is a chest clip that holds the harness straps flat across your newborn's chest. This prevents the straps pinching or bending around shoulders, which could put your child at risk of injury. If you choose a car seat with this feature, ensure the chest clip is positioned at the armpit level. Avoid dressing your baby with bulky outerwear as this could hinder the harness. Regardless of which kind of car seat you pick, check that it's installed in your vehicle as per the instructions of the manufacturer. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system comprises an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of your vehicle and the tether which is attached to an anchor inside the vehicle. If your vehicle isn't equipped with LATCH, you can still use a seat belt to secure your car seat.