Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A car seat for newborns or infant safety seat, or a baby car seat, is a way to protect infants from harm and death from car accidents. The harness distributes the restraint force across the child's body and head instead of the neck or spinal cord.
They are available in rear-facing as well as convertible versions, and come with a range of weight and height limits. They can also be part of an entire travel system that snaps into and out of the base of a stroller.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing newborn car seats offer the best protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to hold and support children, protecting their neck, head and spine. They also help to reduce the impact of a crash to prevent your child's body from being hit and minimizing injuries. This is because the child's body doesn't collide with the car seat, or front passenger seat. Instead, it's 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 the weight limit of their car seat or height limit. The majority of children will outgrow their infant car seats around age 1 and can transition to convertible car seats that is able to face forward. Many parents will put their child in the rear-facing seat until they turn two.
There are best car seat infant : infant-only car seat and convertible car seat. Both are equally secure however, each has its own advantages. Infant-only seats, for instance are lighter and smaller. They also have a quick-release base that can be removed from the vehicle and reattached to the stroller. Convertible car seats are heavier and more spacious. They also don't include a base for a stroller.
It is important to use the back seat regardless of the type of seat. You can also place a blanket that is tightly rolled or washcloth between the crotch straps and your child's harness to ensure the harness is securely secured. Check that the lower anchors of your car seat are properly installed, and that they are connected to the lower attachment points on the lower anchor bars.
Research suggests that babies who face the rear of the car are less likely to get injured in a car accident. Baby car seats that face rear also experience less impact when they crash into the front of the car, as opposed to the back of the car seat which can cause 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's registry and the method you used to bring your baby home from the hospital. You may think about changing the car seat to face forward when your child gets older. However, it's important to be aware that children aren't quite ready for this 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 one year old, they should be rear-facing. This is because children younger than one year old don't have enough neck muscles to handle the whiplash that results from being forced forward in an accident. Moreover they are at greater risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on accidents.
You can buy a convertible or an all-in-one car seat, which allows your child to remain rear-facing until they meet the height and weight limit for the seat. These seats are usually bucket-style infant car seats that connect to a base for installation in your vehicle. The base can then be removed and attached to strollers as a travel system. They tend to have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
If you prefer, you can purchase a booster seat. They are typically equipped with a harness designed for smaller children and can be converted to a belt-positioning seat once your child is ready. The main advantage of this kind of car seat is that it will remain in your vehicle all through the child's life which makes it simple to move your child from one vehicle to another.
Whatever car seat you pick be sure to read the instruction manual and follow the instructions for installation. Contact a certified car safety technician to ensure your child's car seat has been installed and used correctly. Car seat misuse is very common, and even well-meaning parents could injure their children if they don't know what they're doing. It is best to study the instructions on the car seat and follow the recommendations of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose convertible infant car seats since they can develop with your child, allowing them to travel safely from infancy to toddlerhood. These seats are less expensive than infant seats and offer a longer lifespan. But, it's crucial to choose a model that is easy to install and fits your vehicle. Also, ensure that you buckle up your baby properly every time.
Snug straps keep the head from slipping into a dangerous chin-to-chest position that could result in strangulation or asphyxiation. A lot of infant carseats come with straps that are loose or not buckled which pose a major safety risk. Straps that aren't buckled can cause an unbalanced neck that is the cause of numerous accidents. If the crotch strap is not tightened enough to pass a pinch test, it can be a risk. This test will determine if the crotch strap is tight enough to prevent the legs of a newborn from sliding in the seat, causing them to get injured or trapped.
Some convertible car seats for newborns come with an adjustable torso height that lets you alter the height limit according to the growth of your child. The minimum torso height must 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 correct height for the seat.
The most suitable convertible infant car seat should have a snug fit, comfortable padding, and a slender base that lets you install it in your car. It should also feature an incredibly tight, snug harness that passes the pinch test as well as a small, tightly-rolled towel or blanket for an emergency. It should also come with a tether strap which is connected to the anchor points of your vehicle and can reduce crash injuries by decreasing the impact force on your infant. In addition it should include the travel system, which comprises an infant car seat that can be paired with a stroller and a handle you use to transport your infant from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
When it comes to choosing the best car seats for their newborns, parents have many factors to consider. Car seats are an essential purchase for new families and their use reduces the risk that your child will suffer an fatal motor vehicle crash injury by 71 percent. The decision between a baby car seat and a convertible seat comes down to some key factors such as safety features, compatibility with your vehicle and the ease of use.
Infant car seats are made with the delicate physiology and baby's physiology in mind. They typically have the base that is able to stay in the car and a carrier that snaps into place, making it easy to transfer your baby from car to stroller and back without disturbing them. They have a crotch and harness built in to keep your child safe.
Some infant cars have side-impact protection that distributes the force of a crash away from the baby's head and neck. They are made of metal, plastic, and foam that absorbs energy and protects the baby's head from direct contact with the frame of the vehicle or other objects involved in a collision. Some come with a special pod that extends from the door to shield the head of the child.
Another safety feature that's becoming more prevalent in infant car seats is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps straight across the chest of your baby. This prevents the straps pinching or twisting around the shoulders, which could put your child at risk of injury. If you opt for a seat with this feature, ensure that the chest clip is placed at armpit height. You should also be sure to avoid dressing your baby in bulky outerwear that could interfere with the harness's fit.
Regardless of which type of car seat you pick, check that it's installed in your vehicle according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Check for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, which consists of an attachment that clips onto a car's lower anchor points and an tether strap that is attached to the top of the seat and connects to an anchor in your vehicle. If your car does not have LATCH, a belt can be used to secure the car seats.