Three Greatest Moments In Newborn Car Seat History

Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat

A newborn car seat is also known as a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It protects babies against injury and death during car accidents. The harness distributes the restraint force to the body and head of the child instead of the neck or spinal cord.

These seats are available in rear-facing and convertible versions, and come with an array of weight and height limits. They are also a part of a travel set that snaps into a stroller base.

Rear-facing

Rear-facing newborn child car seats offer unbeatable protection in crashes for infants. They are designed to support and cradle children, ensuring their neck, spine and head. They also help to reduce injuries by stopping the impact of an accident from hitting your child. This is because the child's body doesn't collide with the vehicle seat or the front seat. Instead, it is a soft, cushioned area inside their car seat.

According to the AAP as well as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend that parents keep their child facing rearwards until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. Around age 1, most children will outgrow their infant car seat and transition to a convertible car seat that can face forward. However, many parents will want to keep their child in a rear-facing car seat until their 2nd birthday.

There are two main kinds of rear-facing car seats that are convertible and infant-only car seats. Both are equally safe however, each has its own advantages. For instance, infant-only seats are smaller and lighter. They also come with the quick-release base which can easily be detached from the vehicle and then attached to a stroller. Convertible car seats are bigger and heavier, and don't have a built-in stroller base.

No matter what type of seat you select regardless of the type, you must follow the manufacturer's instructions and ensure that you use the seat in the back of your vehicle. It is also recommended to place tightly rolled washcloths or blankets between the crotch strap and your baby to ensure there is no gap in the harness. Ensure that the lower anchors of your car seat are correctly installed, and that they are connected to the lower attachment points on the lower anchor bars.

Research has shown that babies who are facing the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in an accident. Car seats with rear-facing infants also have less impact when they crash into the front of the car, in contrast to the back of the car seat which can cause serious injuries.

Forward-facing

The majority of parents have given plenty of thought to their infant's car seat. It was one of the most important items on the baby registry, and the way you brought your child home from the hospital. Now that your child is older, you may be considering turning the car seat facing forward. But, 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.

As long as your baby weighs at least 20 lbs and a year old, they should remain rear-facing. Children younger than one year don't have the neck muscles needed to resist whiplash resulting from being thrown in an accident. They also have greater risk of suffering from spinal injuries in head-on collisions.

You can purchase a convertible car seat or an all-in one seat that will allow you to keep the child rear-facing until the child reaches the weight and height limit of the seat. These are usually bucket-style infant car seats that attach to a base that can be installed in your vehicle. The base can then be removed and attached to strollers as a system for travel. However, they tend to have smaller weight and height limits than the standard convertible car seats.

Alternatively, you can get a booster seat. These seats are equipped with a harness and can be transformed into a booster which allows your child to wear a seat belt once they are ready. The major benefit of this kind of car seat is that it can remain in your vehicle throughout the early years of life making it easy to transport your child from one vehicle to another.

It doesn't matter which car seat you select be sure to read the instructions and follow them. Consult  infant car seat travel  certified car safety technician to ensure that your child's car seat is properly installed and used properly. It is common for parents to misuse car seats, and even well-intentioned parents can cause injury to their children. The best way to prevent this is to read the car seat instructions and following the recommendations of a CPST.

Convertible

Many parents choose convertible infant car seat because they grow with their child and allow them to safely travel through infancy and toddlerhood. They are less expensive than infant ones and have a an extended life. However, it's important to choose a model that is easy to install and will fit in your vehicle. Also, make sure you buckle up your baby properly every time.

Snug straps prevent the head from slipping into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture which could lead to strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant car seats have unbuckled or loose straps. This is a serious safety issue. Straps that aren't buckled could cause necks to hang and cause of many accidents. The crotch buckle could be a danger when it isn't tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines if the crotch buckle is tight enough to prevent a newborn's legs from sliding down the seat, result in them being trapped or cut.

Some convertible car seats for newborns include an adjustable torso that allows you to adjust the height limit according to your child's growth. The minimum torso height should be equal to the height of your infant's shoulders or one inch lower. Some models come with an infant insert that can aid in raising your child to the proper height.

The best convertible newborn car seat should have a comfortable fit, comfortable padding, and a narrow base that allows you to install it in your vehicle. It should also include an incredibly snug, secure harness that passes the pinch test, and an incredibly small, tightly-rolled blanket or towel in the event there is an accident. It should also have a tether that attaches to the anchor points of your vehicle, which could reduce injuries in an accident by reducing the force of impact. Additionally, it should come with the travel system, which comprises a car seat that pairs with a stroller, and comes with an handle that you can use to move the infant from the car to the stroller.

Safety features

When choosing the right car seats for their babies parents face a variety of things to take into consideration. Car seats are a must-have for new families because correctly using them reduces the risk of fatal motor vehicle collision injuries by 71 percent. The decision between a baby car seat and a convertible one is dependent on several factors, including safety features, compatibility with your vehicle, and the ease of use.

Infant car seats are designed with the fragile physiology of a newborn in mind. They typically have a base that stays in the vehicle and a carrier that snaps into the position, making it simple to transfer your baby from car to stroller, and then back without causing any disturbance to them. They have a crotch and harness that are built-in to keep your child secure.

Some infant cars come with side impact protection, which disperses the force of a crash away from the baby's head and neck. They have plastic, metal, and foam that absorbs energy, and protects the head of the infant from direct contact with the frame or other objects in the event of a collision. Some include a special pod that extends beyond the door to protect the head of the child.

Another security feature that's becoming more common in newborn car seats is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps flat across the chest of your baby. This prevents the straps pinching or twisting around shoulders which can put your child at risk of injury. If you opt for a seat with this feature, make sure the chest clip is set at the armpit height. Do not dress your baby in bulky outerwear as this could interfere with the harness.

No matter what type of car seat you pick ensure that it's mounted in your vehicle as per the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system consists of a connector which clips into the lower anchor points of your vehicle and an tether that is attached to an anchor in the vehicle. If your vehicle isn't equipped with LATCH, you can still use a seat belt to secure your car seat.