7 Little Changes That'll Make A Big Difference With Your Newborn Car Seat

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 restraining force across the child's head and body, rather than the neck or spinal cord.

These seats are available in rear-facing and convertible versions, as well as with a range of weight and height limits. They can also be a part of a set for travel that snaps into 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, while protecting their spine, neck and head. They also help to reduce injuries by preventing the force 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 an upholstered, soft surface in their car seat.

According to the AAP, and 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. At around the age of 1, children will outgrow their infant car seat and move on to a convertible seat that can face forward. Many parents will keep their child in the rear seat until they turn two.

There are two main kinds: infant-only car seats and convertible car seat. Both are equally secure however, each has its own advantages. Infant-only seats, for instance are smaller and lighter. They also come with an easy-release base that can be removed from the vehicle and reattached to a stroller. Convertible car seats are heavier and more spacious. They also do not come with a stroller base.

It is essential that you always use the back seat regardless of the type of seat. You can also place a tightly rolled blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure the harness is securely secured. 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 properly fitted and buckled.

While there is much debate about how long a child should ride rear-facing, research shows that babies up to 12 months old are less likely to suffer injuries in car accidents if they are facing the back of the car. Car seats with rear-facing seats allow babies to experience less impact when they strike the car's front as opposed the the back which could result in serious injuries.

Forward-facing

The majority of parents have given a lot of consideration to their newborn car seat. It was an important item on your baby registry as well as the method you took your child home from the hospital. Now as your child gets older though, you might be considering turning the car seat around to facing forward. It is important to keep in mind that your child's not ready until they reach the weight and height limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat.

Until your baby is at least 20 pounds and a year old, they should stay rear-facing. Children younger than one year don't have the neck muscles needed to resist whiplash resulting from being involved in an accident. Furthermore,  click here for info  are at greater chance of suffering spinal injuries from head-on collisions.

You can buy a convertible car seat or an all-in one seat that allows you to keep the child rear-facing until the child is at the weight and height limits of the seat. These seats are usually bucket-style infant seats that have a base to install in your vehicle. They can also be detached from the base and attached to strollers in order to form travel systems. They tend to have lower weight and height restrictions than standard car seats.

You can also purchase an extra booster. These seats come with a harness and can be transformed into a booster that lets your child wear a seat belt once they are ready. The main advantage of this type of car seat is that it can remain in your vehicle through the child's life making it easy to transport your child from one vehicle to another.

No matter what car seat you pick make sure you read the instructions and follow the installation instructions. It's recommended to consult a certified car safety technician to make sure that the child's car seat is set up and is used correctly. Incorrect use of a car seat is frequent, and even the most well-meaning parents could injure their children if they don't understand what they're doing. The best way to avoid this is to follow the instructions for your car seat and following the advice of a CPST.

Convertible

Many parents choose to purchase a convertible newborn car seat since they can expand with your child which allows them to travel safely from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. These seats are cheaper than infant car seats and offer an extended lifespan. However, it is important to select a seat that is simple to install and fits your vehicle. Additionally, be sure to ensure your child's safety by buckling them properly every time.

Snug straps keep the head from slipping into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture, which can cause strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant car seats have unbuckled or loose straps. This is a major safety issue. Unbuckled straps may cause necks to hang, which is the cause of numerous accidents. If the crotch strap isn't enough tight to pass the pinch test, it could pose a danger. This test will determine whether the crotch buckle is tight enough to prevent the legs of a newborn from slouching in the seat and causing them to be injured or trapped.

Some convertible infant car seats come with an adjustable torso-height that allows you to adjust the height limit to suit your child's growth. The torso's minimum height should be equal to the height of your infant's shoulders or one inch lower. Some models come with an infant insert to help raise your child to the proper height for the seat.

The most suitable convertible infant car seat should be a snug fit, comfortable padding and a narrow base that allows you to install it in your car. It should also have a secure, tight harness that passes the pinch test and a small tight-rolled blanket or towel to use in an emergency. It should also have a tether strap that attaches to the anchor points on your vehicle that can help reduce the risk of collision injuries by cutting down the force of impact on your baby. Additionally it should be equipped with an infant travel system that includes a car seat that pairs with a stroller and has an handle that you can use to transport your infant from the car to the stroller.

Safety features

Parents have a lot to consider when they're choosing the best car seat for their infants. Car seats are an important purchase for new families and their use reduces the risk that children will be the victim of a fatal motor vehicle accident injury by 71. The decision between an infant car seat and a convertible seat comes down to some key factors that include safety features and compatibility with your vehicle and user-friendliness.

Car seats for infants are designed with the delicate physiology and body of a newborn in mind. They usually come with the base that is able to stay in the vehicle, and the carrier snaps into place, making it easy to move your baby from car to stroller, and then back without disturbing them. They also have built-in harnesses and a crotch strap that keep your baby secure.

Some infant cars have side-impact protection that distributes the crash force away from the infant's neck and head. They come with metal, plastic and foam that absorbs energy and shields the head of the infant from direct contact with the vehicle frame or other objects in the event of a collision. Some even have a special pod on the door's side that extends out to protect the head of the infant.

Another safety feature that is becoming more common in car seats for newborns is a chest clip that holds the harness straps straight across the chest of your baby. The straps aren't strained or bending around shoulders which can expose your child to risk of injury. If you choose a car seat that has this feature, make sure the chest clip is positioned at the armpit level. Avoid dressing your baby in bulky clothing as it can hinder the harness.

Whatever kind of car seat you choose ensure that it's mounted in your vehicle in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system that consists of an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of a car and an tether strap that is attached to the top of the seat and hooks to an anchor inside your vehicle. If your vehicle does not have LATCH, a belt can be used to secure car seats.