Infant Car Seat - What You Need to Know

Most infant car seats can disengage from their base and snap into a stroller frame for easy transportation. This makes them popular with parents who are planning to make frequent trips out of the city.

No matter which car seat you pick Dress your baby in clothes that allow the harness straps to fit comfortably over their shoulders and hips. The bulky clothing or blankets could interfere with a snug harness fit.

Rear-Facing

Infant car seats, also referred to as convertible car seats that have an inclination to the rear designed to accommodate infants and children of a smaller size up to a weight and height limit that is set by the manufacturer. These car seats are usually equipped with an infant insert that makes sure the head of a newborn is comfortable positioned inside the shell of the seat.

The AAP and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend that infants ride rear-facing until they attain their weight or height limits for car seats or until they reach their weight limits, whichever comes first. Certain convertible and all-in-one car seats allow your child to sit rear facing longer, up to age 4 or 5 (depending on the model).

The majority of car seats have the option of reclining angles that can be adjusted in order to stop the baby's back from slipping forward when the vehicle slows down. You can either read the instruction manual for your car seat to learn how to adjust the angle, or watch a video by an influencer of your car seat. It's also important to avoid placing your baby in bulky clothing, such as coats or blankets because they can hinder an ideal fit for the harness and cut off airflow around the infant's chest and neck.

Many parents aren't comfortable changing their child's rear-facing position to forward-facing. They fear that the impact force could eject their baby's legs or feet, or that their neck and head may be hurled forward violently in a side-impact. It's crucial to remember that the rear-facing position provides more protection than the forward-facing one.

A video by an influencer of car seats shows a child in a forward-facing car seat being violently tossed about in an accident simulation. The head injury that results is horrifying. The video of the same crash from the rear-facing seat isn't as severe because the child's head is cradled by the shell.

If your state requires you to put your child forward, don't do it. This does not line up with the best practices, which is the reason why the AAP and NHTSA are now in agreement that children should remain rear-facing until they reach their maximum height or weight limit for the car seat, whichever is first.

Forward-Facing

Infant car seats are made to protect infants and newborns, with harnesses that help secure them in the seat. Parents may be able adjust the headrest, recline angle, and stroller attachments depending on the car seat. Most infant car seats have a maximum weight and height, and most children will outgrow these seats before they're ready to transition to a forward-facing car seat.

It's understandable for parents to want to turn their baby around as soon as they can, however, the current law requires that children under one year old remain facing rear until they weigh 20 pounds and are 1 year old. The reason is that the neck muscles of infants aren't strong enough to withstand whiplash from an accident that rears them, which occurs when a child turns forward in the event of an accident.

If a child's neck is moved forward in an accident in front, the spinal cord can stretch and tear, which can result in paralysis or even death. If a child is seated backwards in a car their neck bones are kept together and protected by the harness, preventing this kind of injury.

Rear-facing babies are also less likely to end up in the rear of the car in an accident. In a collision, they're less likely to be injured by a seatbelt that runs across their chests rather than their necks.

Parents must ensure that their child is in the correct car seat that is suitable for his or their size. Check the instructions for your car seat from the manufacturer as well as the owner's manual for your vehicle prior to making a decision. You can also seek out professional advice from a technician for car seats who is certified in your area.

When a baby outgrows their car seat, they may move to a convertible or an all-in-one car seat that is designed to start in the rear-facing location and shifts to forward-facing when they've reached their weight and height limits. When they reach the recommended weight and age they can move to a booster with a lap-sash seatbelt.

Convertible

Many new parents are split between a baby car seat or a convertible one. Both have their advantages however which one is the best for your family? A car seat for infants is perfect for infants, but if you want something that will last for many years, a convertible is probably a better option.

Convertible infant car seats change from rear-facing to forward-facing when your child grows. Based on the model, they can fit children from infancy to late elementary school. Certain rear-facing car seats have higher weight and size limits than the infant car seat that allow for more use.

If you choose to purchase convertible infant car seats Be sure to verify whether it comes with removable newborn 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 slots on the straps, and then it pushes them forward a bit to stop their head from sliding back against the harness straps or the buckle on the crotch of the seat (which puts them at risk for positional asphyxia).

Infant car seats also tend to have a handle that parents use to move between cars and can be connected to strollers to create a travel system. This feature lets you easily transfer your car to a stroller without wake up your baby.

At some point your child will outgrow the car seat they were in as infants or reach their weight limit or their height limit. Most experts agree it's time to upgrade to a convertible car seat once your child's head is within 1 inch of the top rated infant car seats edge of the seat. Check the instruction manual to ensure that your child is in the right place.

While convertible car seats can appear more expensive initially than infant car seats however, they could be less expensive in the long term because you'll be in a position to use them for many years. Additionally, certain models have lower anchors which allow the installation of these seats with less force than traditional seats, which could minimize injuries from a crash.

Safety Ratings

When shopping for an infant car seat, safety is top of mind. All infant car seats must be compliant with the safety standards of the federal government, but some go above and beyond to provide additional security for parents.

High-end features like anti-rebound bars and no-rethread adjustable harnesses can help to ensure your child's safety kept in mind. Other useful tools, like load legs that brace the base of the seat and reduce the impact force of a crash are also available.

An effective method to determine how secure an portable infant car seat car seat is before buying it is to look up its crash test ratings and reviews. However it's important to keep in mind that the most important aspect in determining the safety of an infant car seats best car seat is how it's used. Based on our conversations the majority of accidents involving infant car seats are the result of misuse -- either incorrect installations or improper restraints of the child.

If you want to make certain that you are using the right car seat for your baby, then look for one that has an easy-to-read guide, lots of indicators that the seat is level and secure and bubbles at the bottom that show you EXACTLY where to place it. Make sure you securely secure the straps to the chest and abdomen of your child before you install it. The ratcheting sound that it makes when you tighten it is a good indication.

Even if you're merely going to the market or making a quick trip into the park, it's not a good idea to leave your infant unattended in the car. Apart from being an extremely dangerous idea in the event of a crash, leaving an infant car seat or a carrier on a hard surface outside of the vehicle is a dangerous practice that can result in falls and injuries. Seats and carriers that are prone to tipping over or roll could cause injuries to babies, or worse, suffocate them.

You will require a booster car seat at some point. Choose a convertible car seat or an all-in-one seat to save money in the long run. These seats offer more options and will last longer than infant car seats.