10 Apps To Help Manage Your Rear Facing Infant Car Seat
Rear Facing Infant Car Seat
A rear-facing infant seat absorbs the force of impact in a crash and protects your child's neck and head. They also keep your child's legs from hitting the front of the carseat in the event of a crash, which could result in serious injury or even death.
All toddlers and infants should be rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight or height of their car seat manufacturer. This includes convertible seats and special infant car seats.
Rear-facing infant car seats are specifically designed for babies and smaller infants.
A rear-facing infant car seat is a type of child car seat that is only available in an rear-facing position. These seats are designed specifically for infants and small babies typically up to 35 pounds. They also have a narrower base than other car seats. They are perfect for cars with small spaces and can help to save space on the back of the car. Most car seats for infants can be transformed into strollers, making traveling with a child much easier.
Rear-facing infant car seats are also recommended for preemies and babies born before 37 weeks gestation. They offer more room and a better fit than standard car seats which can be difficult for a small baby to get in and out of. The infant car seat also offers more head and neck support than a front-facing car seat, which could aid in protecting preemies and small babies from injury in the event of a crash.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children sit in a rear-facing position until they reach the maximum weight and height for their car seat, which is approximately two years old. This is due to the fact that the spine of the child will be stronger in this position and prevent injuries to the spine. It is also important to note that infants and children are more prone to suffer severe injuries when facing forward.
In the case of a crash the rear-facing infant seat absorbs the majority of the force generated by the collision, protecting the baby's neck, head and spine. However, when a child rides in a forward-facing seat, their disproportionately large heads can be thrown against the vehicle's dashboard or console, causing serious injuries.
Many parents believe that a child is ready to move to a booster seat or forward-facing car seat by the age of two. This is a huge mistake. Recent studies published in BMJ injury prevention show that it is more secure for children to remain rear-facing in their car seats until they reach the age of three or four. The longer a child is rear-facing, the more cervical vertebrae will grow and become ossified.
Installation and removal is easy.
The majority of rear-facing infant car seats have an easy-to-install base that can be installed in your vehicle and can be easily removed when no longer required. This is a great feature and allows parents to keep the child in their seat without leaving the car, particularly in bad weather or at night when it is more difficult. It also makes it simple to change cars and to give grandparents and other caregivers access to the child's seat.
Once your child outgrows their car seat for infants in height and weight then it's time to transition to a booster or convertible. It is important to keep in mind that children are safer if they ride rear-facing for as long as is possible. In fact, it is recommended by many safety experts that children ride rear-facing until they reach their two years old or until they reach the maximum height and weight limit set by the manufacturer of the car seat.
In a frontal crash a child riding rear-facing in a car seat absorbs majority of the impact forces in the event of a crash by absorbing them at their neck, head and spine. When a child is rear-facing in a car seat, the force of crashing can cause their head to be thrown forward, leading to serious injuries or death.
If infant car seat rear facing are concerned about your child's comfort rear-facing, keep them warm with a blanket. Avoid placing a blanket that is loose behind or under them. Likewise, be careful about dressing them in bulky clothes that might interfere with the tightness of the harness. Also, ensure that the chest clip is flat against their shoulders and that the harness straps are secure with no gaps.
Many child safety experts say that rear-facing car seats will protect children five times more in a crash in the event that they sit for a longer period of time. In a crash head injuries to children's heads - which are disproportionately larger than their bodies – can be thrown around with force that isn't absorption by their necks and torsos. With rear-facing seats, a child's head is protected by the headrest of the seat and cradled by their back in the event of a crash, shielding them from the most serious injuries.
They protect your child's neck and head.
When an infant is riding in the rear-facing car seat their neck and spinal cord is cradled against the back of the safety seat in the event of a collision. This is vital because in a frontal crash (the most frequent type of car crash), babies in forward-facing cars are forcefully thrown into the dashboard, which could cause neck injuries and even death. Children in rear-facing seats are cradled and padded by their car seat's back and their heads are supported by the headrest.
Infants also have a significantly easier breathing process when positioned in a rear-facing car seat as their chins are placed against their chest. In forward-facing car seats the chin can be pushed down and it can be difficult for children to breathe. In fact, kids who lie down in a car seat that is forward-facing are 75% more likely suffer head injuries than those who lie down in a rear-facing car seat.
Another important factor to consider is that a baby's brain and spine are still developing, which makes them more vulnerable in the case of an accident. If a crash occurs with a front-facing view, an infant's head can hit the dashboard or buckle of the seat belt and this could cause a stretch in their spinal cord, causing serious injury or even death. This is why it's so important to ensure your child is in the rear-facing car seat for as long as you can, up to the point that they've reached the height and weight limit of their infant car seat.
Some infant car seats come with a special insert that helps support the head of a baby. When a child has outgrown it, the insert can be removed. In addition, a lot of car seats come with load bar or anti-rebound features that help absorb the energy of a crash. This is important as it helps reduce the impact on your child, and may even prevent him from being thrown out.
NHTSA recommends keeping your child in the rear-facing infant seat until they reach the weight and height limit of their car seat. Then, they can transition to an all-in-one or convertible car seat. These seats can be used with rear-facing and then changed to forward-facing as they grow.
They are easy to clean.
All car seats, regardless of whether they are convertibles or all-in one car seats are able to be removed quickly and easily. They are often able to be plugged directly into travel systems and strollers to run errands while on the move. These seats are simple to clean. Many have machine-washable covers and removable parts that can be cleaned in the washer and dried. This is especially important as children are messy!
In the case of an accident, the position of the rear will protect a child's neck and head. This is particularly important for infants and young children. Their heads and spinal cords are more flexible, and they also have lots of cartilage. During a crash, their head could snap backward and stretch their spinal cords, resulting in severe injuries. This is why many car safety experts suggest keeping children rear-facing for as long as they can.
It may be tempting to move your child's seat to a booster when they are ready, but every switch lowers their protection in a crash. In a frontal collision, the child's head could be turned to the side and could possibly hit the plastic shell or dashboard. This increases the risk of injury. Idealy, children should be riding rearwards until they reach the maximum weight of their rear-facing car seat or height limit or until they reach 2 years old.
If you are unsure whether your child is transitioning out of the rear-facing seat, contact an CPST certified person in your area for assistance. They can help you determine the appropriate age at which your child can turn around, as well as make sure they're riding properly and safely in their car seat.
Many parents believe that their child is no more a car seat for babies when they reach the maximum rear-facing weight limit or height. There are a myriad of things to consider, including the size of your car as well as the unique shape of your child. A lot of infant car seats have built-in recline indicators which tell you when your child's head is not extending past the top of their seat. For more information on safe recline, consult your car seat manual and the owner's guide of your vehicle.