Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat is also referred to as a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It helps protect babies from injury and death in vehicle accidents. They come with a harness that distributes the force of restraining over the child's body and head instead of the neck and spinal cord.
These seats are rear-facing or convertible and are available in a variety of sizes and weight limits. They can also be part of a travel set that snaps into 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, while protecting their neck, head and spine. In addition, they help to reduce the impact of a crash from hitting your child's body and minimizing injuries. This is because the body of your child is not hitting the car seat or the front seat, but instead a soft, cushioned surface inside 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 maximum weight or height limit. Around the age of one, most children will outgrow their infant car seat and transition to a convertible seat that can face forward. Many parents will leave their child in the rear-facing seat until they turn two.
There are two primary types: infant-only car seats and convertible car seat. Both are safe, but have different features. For instance, infant-only seats are smaller, lighter, and come with an easy release base that can be easily detached from the car and reattached to a stroller base. Convertible car seats are larger, heavier, and don't have an integrated base for strollers.
No matter what type of seat you select, it is important to adhere to the instructions of the manufacturer and always use the seat in the back of your vehicle. It is also recommended to place washcloths that are tightly rolled or blankets between the crotch strap and your child to ensure there is no gap in the harness. Ensure that the lower anchors of your car seat are properly installed and are connected to the lower anchor points on the lower anchor bars.
There is a lot of debate over how long a child should be rear-facing, research has shown that infants as young as 12 months old are less likely to suffer injuries in car accidents if they are facing the rear of the car. Baby car seats that face rear also experience less impact when they strike the front of the car, in contrast to the rear of the car seat, which can cause serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Most parents have put a lot of thought into their baby car seat. It was a key item on the baby registry and how you got your baby home from the hospital. You might think about changing the car seat to face forward when your child gets older. It is important to keep in mind that your child isn't yet ready until they reach the weight and height limits 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 under one year old don't have the neck muscles needed to withstand whiplash from being thrown in an accident. Moreover they are at a higher risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on accidents.
You can purchase a convertible car seat or an all-in-one one that lets you keep the child rear-facing up until the child reaches the weight and height limits of the seat. These seats are typically bucket-style infant car seats that are attached to a base for installation in your vehicle. The base can be detached and attached to strollers to form a travel system. They typically have lower weight and height restrictions than standard car seats.
You can also purchase a booster seat. They are typically equipped with a harness for younger children, and then convert to a belt-positioning seat when your child is ready. The primary benefit of this kind of car seat is that it will remain in your vehicle all through the early years of life which makes it simple to transport your child from one place to another.
It doesn't matter which car seat you choose follow the directions and follow them. Contact a certified car safety technician to ensure that your child's car seat has been installed and used properly. The misuse of car seats is common, and even well-meaning parents could injure their children if they don't understand what they're doing. The best way to prevent this is by reading the instructions for your car seat and following the advice of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for convertible infant car seats since they can expand with your baby which allows them to travel safely from infanthood to 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 easy to install and fits your vehicle. Also, ensure that you buckle up your baby in the correct way each time.
Snug straps keep the head from slipping to a risky chin-to-chest stance, which can cause asphyxiation or strangulation. Many infant car seats have straps that are loose or not buckled. This is a major safety issue. Straps that aren't buckled could cause necks to hang, which is the cause of numerous accidents. If the crotch strap has not been sufficiently tight enough to pass a pinch test, it may cause danger. This test will determine if the crotch strap is secure enough to stop the legs of a newborn baby from slouching in the seat which could cause them to be injured or trapped.
pushchairsandprams.uk include torso heights that are adjustable, which allows you to alter the height limit according your child's growth. The minimum torso height should be equal to the height of the shoulders of your infant, or one inch lower. Some models include an infant insert to help bring your child up to the appropriate height for the seat.
The best convertible car seat for newborns must be padded and comfortable, with comfortable padding and a narrow base to allow you to put it in your vehicle. It should also come with a snug, tight harness that can pass the pinch test and a short, tightly rolled blanket or towel in case in the event of an accident. It should also include an tether strap that is attached to your vehicle's anchor points that can help reduce the risk of collision injuries by reducing the force of impact on your baby. In addition, it should come with an infant travel system that comprises a car seat that pairs with a stroller, and comes with an handle that you can use to carry the baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents have a lot to take into consideration when selecting the best car seat for their babies. Car seats are a crucial purchase for new families and their use can reduce the likelihood that children will be the victim of a fatal motor vehicle injury by 71 per cent. The decision between a baby car seat and a convertible car seat is based on a few key factors such as safety features, compatibility with your vehicle and user-friendliness.
Car seats for infants are designed with the fragile baby's physiology in mind. The base of the seat is typically in the car, and the seat snaps into the position. This makes it easy to move your baby from stroller to car and back without causing any disturbance. They come with a crotch as well as a harness built in to keep your child secure.
Some infant cars come with side impact protection that is designed to disperse the force of collision away from the infant's head and neck. Foam, metal, and plastic absorb energy and protect the baby's face from direct contact with the frame of a vehicle or any other object in a collision. Some have a special sock that extends beyond the door to protect the head of the child.
A chest clip is a different safety feature that is becoming more common on infant car seats. 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 risk of injury. If you choose a car seat with this feature, make sure the chest clip is positioned at armpit height. Avoid dressing your baby in bulky clothing as it can hinder the harness.
Regardless of which type of car seat you choose make sure it's installed in your vehicle as per the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. The system is comprised of an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of your vehicle and a tether that hooks onto an anchor inside the vehicle. If your vehicle does not have LATCH, a seatbelt can be used to secure the car seats.