Its History Of Newborn Car Seat
Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat or infant safety seat or a baby car seat, is a way to protect babies from injury and death from car accidents. The harness distributes the restraint force to the child's body and head, rather than the spinal cord or neck.
They are available in rear-facing as well as convertible versions, as well as with an array of weight and height limits. They can also be part of an entire travel system that snaps into and out of a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing newborn car seats offer unmatched protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to support and cradle children, protecting their neck, head, and spine. They also help to disperse the impact of a collision from hitting your child's body which reduces the risk of injuries. This is because your child's body is not hitting the car seat or the front seat, but instead a soft, cushioned surface inside their car seat.
Parents should make sure that their child remains rear-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight limit of the car seat, as per the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The majority of children outgrow their infant carseat around age 1 and can move to an convertible car seat that can face forward. But, many parents want to keep their child in a rear-facing seat until they turn 2.
There are two main types of rear-facing car seats convertible car seats. Both are safe, but offer different conveniences. For instance, infant-only chairs are smaller, lighter and have an easy release base that can be easily detached from the car and then reattached to the base of a stroller. Convertible car seat are larger and heavier. They also don't include a base for a stroller.
It is important that you always use the back seat regardless of the type of seat. You can also put an enveloping blanket or washcloth between the crotch straps and your child to ensure that the harness is secure. Check that the lower anchors of your car seat are properly installed and are connected to the lower attachment points on the lower anchor bars.
Research has shown that babies who sit in the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in an accident. Baby car seats that face rear also have less impact when they hit the front of the car, as opposed to the back of the car seat, which can result in serious injuries.
Forward-facing
The majority of parents have given lots of consideration to their newborn car seat. It was a key item on the baby registry, and how you got your child home from the hospital. You might consider changing the car seat to face forward when your child gets older. It's important to keep in mind that your child isn't ready until they've reached the weight and height limits that are set by the manufacturer of their car seat.
When your baby is at least 20 pounds and a year old, they should stay rear-facing. Children younger than one year do not have the neck muscles required to withstand whiplash from being involved in an accident. Furthermore, they are at greater risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on accidents.
You can buy a convertible car seat or an all-in-one one that allows you to keep the child rear-facing up until the child is at the weight and height limit of the seat. These are usually bucket-style infant car seats that connect to a base for installation in your vehicle. The base can be removed and connected to strollers to form a travel system. However, they usually have smaller maximum weight and height limits than a standard convertible car seat.
If you prefer, you can purchase a booster seat. These seats are equipped with a harness and can be transformed into a booster that lets your child wear a seat belt when they are ready. This type of car seat has the primary advantage that it can be used in your car for the duration of your child's growing years which makes it much easier to move the car seat from one location to another.
No matter which car seat you select be sure to read the instructions and adhere to the guidelines. Get a certified safety technician to ensure that your child's car seat is installed and used properly. It is common for parents to make mistakes with car seats, and even the most well-intentioned parents can cause injury to their children. It is best to read the instructions on the car seat and follow the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose a convertible newborn car seat because they can develop with your baby, allowing them to safely travel from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. These seats are also less expensive than infant car seats and offer an extended lifespan. However, it's important to choose a model that is simple to install and will fit in your vehicle. Additionally, be sure to ensure your child's safety by buckling them in a proper manner each time.
Snug straps prevent the head from shifting to a risky chin-to-chest stance that could result in asphyxiation or strangulation. A majority of infant car seats have unbuckled or loose straps. This is a serious safety concern. Straps that aren't buckled can cause an unbalanced neck, which is the cause of numerous accidents. If the crotch strap has not been sufficiently tight enough to pass the pinch test, it may be a risk. This test will determine if the crotch buckle is tight enough to stop a baby's legs from slouching down in the seat and causing them to be trapped or cut.
Some convertible infant car seats come with an adjustable torso-height that allows you to alter 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 bring your child up to the correct height for the seat.
The best convertible newborn car seat should be a snug fit, comfortable padding and a slender base that lets you put it in your car. It should also feature a secure, tight harness that passes the pinch test and a small and tightly-rolled blanket or towel to use in an emergency. It should also have an attachment tether to the anchor points of your vehicle, which will help reduce injuries during a crash by reducing force of impact. In addition it should include the travel system, which consists of a car seat that pairs with a stroller, and comes with a handle you use to carry the baby from the car to the stroller.
When choosing the right car seats for their newborns parents must consider a myriad of factors to consider. Car seats are a crucial purchase for families with new children because their proper use reduces the risk that children will be the victim of a fatal motor vehicle accident injury by 71 per cent. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible seat is based on several key elements such as safety features and compatibility with your vehicle and user-friendliness.
Infant car seats are designed with a newborn's fragile physiology in mind. They typically have an attached base that remains in the car and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from car to stroller, and then back without disturbing them. They have a crotch and harness built in to keep your child secure.
Some infant cars come with side impact protection, which is designed to disperse the force of collision away from the baby's neck and head. They come with metal, plastic, and foam that absorbs energy and shields the baby's head from direct contact with the vehicle frame or other objects in the event of a collision. Some have a special sock that extends from the door to shield the head of the child.
A chest clip is a different safety feature that is becoming more popular in car seats for newborns. It keeps the straps of the harness flat against your baby's chest. The straps aren't strained or twisting around shoulders, which could expose your child to the risk of injury. If you decide to purchase a car seat with this feature, ensure that the chest clip is positioned at armpit height. Avoid dressing your baby with heavy outerwear since it could hinder the harness.
Whatever type of car seat you pick ensure that it's mounted in your vehicle in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Check for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, which consists of connectors that clip into 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 in your vehicle. If your car doesn't have LATCH, you can still use the seat belt to secure your car seat.