20 Myths About Newborn Car Seat: Dispelled
Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat A car seat for newborns is also referred to a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It protects babies against injuries and deaths in vehicle accidents. The harness distributes the restraining force across the body and head of the child instead of the spinal cord or neck. These seats can be either rear-facing or convertible and are available in a variety of sizes and weight limits. They could also be part of a travel system that clicks into and out of the base of a stroller. Rear-facing Rear-facing newborn car seats offer unmatched protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to hold and support children, protecting their neck, spine and head. They also help to reduce injuries by keeping the force of an accident from striking your child. This is because the child's body doesn't collide with the car seat or the front seat. Instead, it is a soft, cushioned area within their car seat. According to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Parents should keep their child rear-facing until they reach their car seat's maximum weight or height limit. Around the age of one, most children will outgrow the infant car seat and move on to a convertible car seat that can face forward. Many parents will keep their child in the rear-facing seat until they turn two. There are two primary kinds of rear-facing car seats convertible car seats. Both are safe, but offer different conveniences. For instance, infant-only chairs are smaller, lighter and have an easy release base that is able to be removed from the car and then reattached to the base of a stroller. Convertible car seat are larger and heavier. They also don't include a stroller base. It is crucial that you always use the back seat, regardless of the type of seat. You can also place an enveloping blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child's harness to ensure the harness is tight. Also, ensure that the lower anchors are attached to the lower attachment points of the lower anchor bars of your vehicle and that the car seat is properly installed and buckled. Research shows that babies who face the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in a car crash. Rear-facing car seats allow babies to be less impacted when they crash into the car's front as opposed the the back, which can lead to serious injuries. Forward-facing Most parents have put a lot of thought into their infant car seat. It was an important item on your baby registry as well as the method you took your baby home from the hospital. Now that your child is getting older, you might be considering turning the car seat around to forward-facing. But, it's important to be aware that children aren't quite ready for this until they reach the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat. When your baby is at least 20 pounds and one year old, they should stay rear-facing. Children under one year old do not have the neck muscles needed to resist whiplash resulting from being hit in a crash. Additionally they are at a higher risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on collisions. You can purchase convertible or all-in-one seat, which allows you to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the height and weight limit for the seat. These seats are usually bucket-style infant seats that have an installation base that can be inserted into your vehicle. They can also be separated from the base and attached to strollers to form travel systems. However, they typically have lower maximum weight and height limits than the standard convertible car seat. You can also purchase a booster seat. They are typically equipped with a harness for younger kids and convert to a belt-positioning seat when your child is ready. The primary benefit of this type of car seat is that it will remain in your vehicle throughout the child's life making it easy to transport your child from one place to another. It doesn't matter which car seat you pick follow the directions and follow the guidelines. It is recommended to speak with a certified car safety technician to make sure that your child's seat is installed and used properly. Car seat misuse is very common, and well-meaning parents can injure their children if they aren't aware of what they're doing. The best way to prevent this is to read the instructions for your car seat and following the advice of a CPST. Convertible Many parents choose a convertible infant car seat because they can grow with their baby and enable them to travel safely through infancy and toddlerhood. They are cheaper than infant car seats and offer longevity for a long time. It is essential to select a model that fits your vehicle and is easy to install. Also, make sure that you secure your baby properly every time. Snug straps keep the head from slipping into a dangerous chin-to chest position that can cause strangulation or even asphyxiation. Many infant car seats have straps that are unbuckled or loose and pose a serious safety risk. Unbuckled straps may cause a neck to hang, which is the cause of a lot of accidents. The crotch buckle could pose a risk in the event that it is not secure enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines whether the crotch buckle is tight enough to prevent a newborn's legs from sliding down the seat, leading to them getting cut or trapped. Some convertible car seats for newborns have adjustable torso height, which lets you adjust the height limit based on your child's growth. The minimum torso must be equal to the height of the shoulders of your infant, or one inch lower. Some models include an infant insert to help raise your child to the appropriate height for the seat. The best convertible car seat for babies should be snug, have cushioning that is comfortable and a small base that allows you to put it in your vehicle. best car seat for newborn should also come with a secure, tight harness that passes the pinch test as well as a small, tightly-rolled towel or blanket for emergencies. It should also come with an tether strap that is attached to the anchor points of your vehicle that can help reduce the risk of collision injuries by reducing the force of impact on your baby. It should also include a travel set, which is a stroller and car seat that can be used to move your baby from the car to the stroller. Safety features Parents must consider when they're choosing the right car seat for their babies. However, car seats are a must-have for new families because correctly using them reduces the chance of fatal child collisions with motor vehicles by 71 . The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat is based on several key elements such as safety features, compatibility with your vehicle and user-friendliness. Car seats for infants are created with the delicate body of a newborn in mind. They typically come with the base that is able to stay in the vehicle, and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from the car to stroller, and then back without disturbing them. They come with a crotch as well as a harness built in to ensure your child secure. Some infant cars come with side impact protection that is designed to disperse the force of collision away from the infant's head and neck. They have plastic, metal, and foam that absorbs energy and shields the baby's head from direct contact with the vehicle frame or other objects in the event of a collision. Some have a special sock that extends from the door to protect the head of the child. Another security feature that's becoming more common in infant car seats is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps flat across the chest of your baby. The straps aren't strained or bending around shoulders, which could expose your child to the risk of injury. If you choose a seat with this feature, make sure the chest clip is set at the armpit height. It is also important to not dress your baby in bulky outerwear which could hinder the fit of the harness. Verify that the car seat is fitted according to the instructions of the manufacturer, regardless of what type you select. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system consists of an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of your vehicle and a tether that hooks onto an anchor in the vehicle. If your vehicle doesn't have LATCH, you may use a seat belt to secure the car seat.