Infant Car Seat - What You Need to Know
Most infant car seats can be removed from their base and snapped into a compatible stroller for easy transportation. This makes them popular with parents who are planning to travel frequently out of the city.
Dress your baby in clothes so that the harness straps comfortably fit over their hips and shoulders regardless of the car seat type you pick. Large blankets or clothing can interfere with a snug harness fit.
Rear-Facing
Infant car seats, also known as convertible car seats with a rearward-facing position, are designed to accommodate infants and small children as long as they meet the weight and height limit specified by the manufacturer. These car seats are typically equipped with an infant insert to ensure that the head of a newborn is comfortable positioned inside the shell of the seat.
The AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend that children remain rear-facing until they reach the weight limit or height limit of their car seat. Certain convertible and all-in one car seats let your child ride rear-facing for longer up to about age 4 or 5.
The majority of manufacturers create car seats with a reclining angle that can be adjusted to keep the baby's head from sliding forward when the vehicle is stopped. You'll need to study the manual of your car seat to figure out how to adjust the reclining angle, or look up a video from a car seat influencer to learn how. It's also important to avoid wearing your child in bulky clothing, such as coats or blankets as they could hinder an ideal fit for the harness and block airflow around your infant's neck and chest.
Many parents aren't comfortable switching their child from rear-facing position to forward-facing. They fear that the force of the crash may throw their child's legs or feet, or that their neck and head may be hurled forward violently in a side-impact. It is important to remember that rear-facing provides a greater level of protection than forward-facing.
A video by an influencer for car seats shows a child sitting in a forward-facing car seat being violently tossed around in a crash simulation. The head injury that occurs is terrifying. However, the video of the same crash from the rear-facing car seat is not nearly as bad because the head of the child is cradled in the shell of the car seat.
So, if your state law requires you to turn your child to forward-facing, ignore it! This is not in accordance with best practices. The AAP and NHTSA agree that children should be rear-facing until either they reach their maximum weight or height for the car seat.
Forward-Facing
Car seats for infants are designed to protect infants and newborns with harnesses that secure them in the seat. Depending on the car seat model parents will be capable of adjusting the recline angle and headrest to ensure their child's comfort as well as choose from various attachments for the stroller of their baby. The majority of infant car seats come with an upper weight and height limit, and a majority of kids will outgrow them long before they're ready to switch to a forward-facing car seat.
While it's normal for parents to are eager to change their child's behavior as soon as they can The current law requires that kids under one year of age must be rear-facing in a car seat until they're 20 pounds and 1 year of age. The reason is that the neck muscles of infants aren't strong enough to withstand whiplash from an accident that rears them, which is caused when a child moves forward in the event of an accident.
If Push Chairs And Prams is forced forward in a frontal accident the spinal cord may stretch and tear, which could cause paralysis or even death. However, if a kid is seated backwards in the car, the neck bones stay together and are protected by the straps of the harness, which help prevent this type of injury.
Rear-facing infants are also less likely to be in the rear of the car in an accident. They are also less likely to be injured by a seat belt that stretches across their chests, as opposed to their necks in a collision.
Parents must ensure that their child is in the correct car seat for his or the size. Take a look at the car seat instructions from the manufacturer as well as the owner's manual for your vehicle prior to making a choice. You can also seek expert advice from a certified car seat technician who is accredited in your region.
If an infant is outgrowing their car seat, they can change to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat that is designed to start in the rear-facing position and then shifts to forward-facing after they've reached their weight and height limits. Once they reach the recommended weight and age they can upgrade to a booster seat with a lap-sash seatbelt.
Convertible
Many new parents are torn when it comes to deciding between an infant car seat and a convertible one. Both have advantages, but which is the best choice for your family? A convertible car seat is a great option for a durable car seat for infants.
As your child grows, convertible infant car seats can be repositioned from front-facing to rear-facing. Depending on the model, they can be used for children as young as late elementary school. Some have heavier weight and height limits in the rear position than car seats for infants, allowing them to be used for longer.
If you decide to buy a convertible infant car seat make sure to determine whether it comes with removable infant inserts that help ensure a secure and comfortable fit for your baby. These paddings raise the infant's torso, so they can fit into the smallest strap slots, and moves them slightly forward to stop their head from flopping back against the straps of their harness or the seat's crotch buckle (which puts them at risk for positional asphyxia).
Infant car seats also tend to have a handle that parents use to move them between vehicles, and some of them can click into strollers to create a travel system. This feature makes it easy to move from your car to your stroller without disturbing your baby for trips to the supermarket or mall, or for doctor visits.
Your child will eventually outgrow the infant car seat. This could happen when they reach their weight or height limit. Most experts agree that it's the right time to move to a convertible seat once the head is within one inch of the top of the seat, but be certain to read the manual to make sure your child is ready.
Although convertible car seats may appear to be more expensive in the beginning than car seats for infants but they can be more affordable in the long run since you'll be able to use them for a long time. Some models also have lower anchors, which make it easier to install. This could reduce the risk of injuries during the event of a crash.
Safety Ratings
When shopping for an infant car seat, safety should be top of mind. All baby car seats must meet federal safety standards, but some surpass the minimum requirements to provide extra assurance for parents.
Premium features such as anti-rebound bars and no-rethread adjustable harnesses are a great way to ensure your child's safety kept in mind. Other useful tools, such as load legs that brace the bottom of the seat and reduce the force of a crash, are also available.
An effective method to determine how secure an infant car seat is prior to purchasing it is to review its crash test ratings and reviews. However it's important to keep in mind that the most important aspect in determining how safe an infant car seat is the way it is used. According to our conversations with NHTSA engineers, the majority of crashes that involve infant car seats stem from misuse -- either improper installation or improper restraint of the child -- and not the actual performance of the seat in a crash.
To be sure you're using an infant car seat correctly, look for one with a easy-to-read instructions manual and lots of indicators that show it's safe and level, such as bubbles on the base that tell you EXACTLY which position to put the seat. Make sure you firmly tighten the straps to the abdomen and chest of your baby when you install it. The ratcheting noise it makes when you tighten it is an excellent indication.
Even if you're merely going to the grocery store or taking a short trip into the park, you shouldn't leave your child unattended in a car. Apart from being a terrible idea in a crash, leaving an infant car seat or carrier on a rough surface outside the vehicle is a risky option that can result in falls and injuries. Seats or carriers that roll or tip over can cause injury or death to infants.
While the choice between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat or all-in-one car seats may seem like it's all about the cost, keep in mind that you'll need an additional booster seat at some point. To save money over the long term, choose a convertible or all-in-one car seat that will give you more options and last longer than an infant car seat.