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Infant Car Seat - What You Need to Know

Most infant car seats can detach from their base and snap into a stroller frame to make it easy to transport. This makes them popular with parents who are planning to make frequent trips out of the city.

Dress your baby in clothing so that the harness straps comfortably fit over their hips and shoulders regardless of the car seat you select. The bulky clothing or blankets could interfere with a snug harness fit.

Rear-Facing

Infant car seats (also known as convertible car seats that have an open rear position) are designed to hold newborns and children up to the weight and height limit set by the manufacturer. These car seats are usually equipped with an infant insert that makes sure the head of a baby is securely placed inside the seat shell.

The AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend that infants remain rear-facing until they reach the weight or height limits of their car seat. Certain convertible and all-in one car seats let your child remain rear-facing for longer, up to age 4 or 5.

Most manufacturers create car seats with a reclining angle that can be adjusted to prevent the baby's head from falling backwards when the car is stopped. You'll need to read your car seat's manual to determine how to adjust the reclining angle, or watch a video by a car seat influencer to discover how to do it. It is also important to avoid wearing your child in bulky clothes, like blankets and coats, because they can prevent a snug harness fit and block airflow around the infant's neck and chest.

Many parents aren't comfortable changing their child's rear-facing position to forward-facing. They worry that the force of the crash may cause the baby's legs to be ejected from their feet, or that their neck and head could be violently thrown forward during a side-impact. It's important to keep in mind that rear-facing provides a much more protection than forward-facing.

A video by an influencer for car seats shows a child sitting in a forward-facing car seat violently tossed in the crash simulation. The head injury that occurs is horrifying. But the video of the same accident from the rear-facing car seat is not nearly as bad because the head of the child is held within the car seat's shell.

So, if your state law requires you to change your child to forward-facing avoid it! This is not in accordance with the best car seats for infants practices. The AAP and NHTSA agree that children should stay rear-facing until they reach their maximum weight or height for the car seat.

Forward-Facing

Infant car seats are made to protect infants and newborns with harnesses that secure them in the seat. Parents may be able adjust the recline angle, headrest, and stroller attachments depending on the type of car seat. The majority of infant car seats have an upper weight and height limit, and most children will outgrow them before they're ready to transition to a forward facing car seat.

It's normal parents' desire to turn their baby around as soon as they can but the current standard requires that children under one year old remain rear-facing until they weigh 20 pounds and are one year old. The reason is that neck muscles of infants are not strong enough to withstand whiplash caused by an accident that rears them, which occurs when a child turns forward in the event of an accident.

If a baby's neck is thrust forward during an accident in front the spinal cord may stretch and tear, which can cause paralysis or even death. If a child is seated backwards in the car, their neck bones are kept together and protected by the harness, which prevents this kind of injury.

Additionally, infants who are rear-facing are less likely to be thrown into the back seat of the vehicle in an accident. They're also less likely to be injured by the seat belt that extends across their chests instead of their necks in the event of a collision.

Parents must ensure that their child is using the correct car seat for their size. Check the instructions for your car seat from the manufacturer and your vehicle's owner's manual before making a decision. You can also seek professional advice from a certified Car Seat Newborn seat technician who is certified in your area.

If an infant is out of their car seat, they can upgrade to a convertible car seat. The seats start in the rear-facing mode and then shift to forward-facing when they reach their weight and height limits. When they reach the recommended weight and age, they can upgrade to a booster with a lap-sash seatbelt.

Convertible

Many new parents are torn in deciding between a car seat for infants and convertible ones. Both have their benefits however, which one is best car seats for newborns for your family? A convertible car seat is an excellent option for a durable infant car seat.

As your child grows, convertible infant car seats can be repositioned from front-facing to rear-facing. This allows them to fit children from the age of infancy to the end of elementary school, based on the model you choose. Some models have higher weight and height limits in the rear-facing position than car seats for infants, allowing them to be used for longer.

Make sure that the convertible infant car seat comes with removable inserts for newborns to ensure a comfortable fit for your child. These paddings raise the infant's torso, so they can fit into the smallest slots in the straps, and moves them slightly forward to stop their head from flopping back against the harness straps or the seat's crotch buckle (which puts them at risk of positional asphyxia).

Some infant car seats have a handle that makes it easier to transfer between vehicles. Some can be plugged into strollers, creating a transport system. This feature makes it simple to transfer your car to your stroller, without waking your baby for trips to the store or mall, or for doctor visits.

At some point your child will outgrow the car seat they were in as infants, either by reaching their weight limit or height limit. Many experts agree that it's time to upgrade to a convertible car seat when your child's head is within one inch of the top rated baby car seats edge of the seat. Review the instructions in your seat's manual to ensure that your child is in the right place.

Convertible car seats can appear more expensive than the infant car seats initially however they can turn out to be more affordable over time since you can use them for a number of years. Some models also have lower anchors, which allow for easier installation. This could help reduce the risk of injuries in the event of a crash.

Safety Ratings

When you are shopping for an infant car seat, safety is foremost in your mind. All car seats for infants are required to meet the safety standards set by the federal government. However some go above the minimum requirements to provide parents with additional peace of mind.

Premium features, like adjustable harnesses that do not rethread and bars that prevent rebounding, can help ensure that your child is secure correctly and securely. Load legs, which support the base of the seat and reduce the force in the event of a crash, are also available.

Checking the crash test ratings and reviews of a baby car seat can help you determine its safety prior to purchasing. It is essential to keep in mind that the usage of a car seat for infants will determine how safe it is. According to our conversations most accidents that occur in infant car seats that swivel car seats are the result of improper use, either through improper installation or inadequate restraints of the child.

If you want to make certain that you are using your infant car seat correctly choose a seat with a simple manual, plenty of indicators that the seat is level and secure, and bubbles on the bottom that show you EXACTLY how to position it. When installing the seat tighten the straps around the baby's abdomen and chest. The ratcheting sound that it makes when you tighten it is a good indicator.

Even if you're merely going to the grocery store or making a quick trip to the park, you shouldn't leave your infant unattended in the car. It's not just risky in the event of a crash and leaving your infant carrier or car seat on a hard surface could cause injuries and falls. Car seats that roll or tip over can also injure or suffocate babies.

While the choice between an infant car seat and convertible car seats or an all-in-one car seat might seem like it's all about cost at this point but keep in mind that you will require a booster seat at some point. Select a convertible car seat or an all-in-one car seat to save money over the long run. These seats offer more options and will last longer than infant car seats.