Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat, also known as an infant safety seat or baby car seat, protects babies from injury and death in vehicle accidents. The harness distributes the restraining force over the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord or neck.
They can be front-facing or convertible, and are available in a variety of sizes and weight limits. They may 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 the best protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to support and cradle children, while protecting their neck, spine, and head. They also help to reduce the impact of a crash to prevent your child's body from being hit, reducing injuries. This is because your child's body isn't colliding with the vehicle seat or the front passenger seat, but rather a soft, cushioned surface inside of their car seat.
According to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend that parents keep their child rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. The majority of children outgrow their infant car seat around the age of one, at which point they can move to an convertible car seat that is able to face forward. However, many parents prefer to keep their child in a rear-facing seat until they turn 2.
There are two types of rear-facing car seat: infant-only seats and convertible car seats. Both are equally secure, but have different features. For instance, infant-only chairs are smaller, lighter and have a quick release base that can be easily detached from the car, and then reattached to the base of a stroller. Convertible car seats are larger, heavier, and do not have a built-in base for strollers.
No matter what type of seat you pick it is essential to adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines and to always place the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. It is also recommended that you put tightly rolled washcloths or blankets between the crotch straps and your child to ensure that there is no slack in the harness. Also, ensure that the lower anchors are connected to the lower attachment points of your vehicle's lower anchor bars and that the car seat is correctly fitted and secured.
There is a lot of debate over the length of time a baby can be rear-facing, research has shown that infants up to 12 months old are less likely to be injured in car accidents when they are facing the back of the car. Rear-facing car seats allow babies to experience less impact when they crash into the front of the car, instead of the rear, which can lead to serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Most parents have invested a lot of thought into their newborn car seat. It was a key item on your baby's registry and the method you took your child home from the hospital. You might think about changing the car seat to face forward as your child grows older. It's important to keep in mind that your child isn't yet ready until they reach the weight and height limits that are set by the manufacturer of their car seat.
As long as your baby weighs at least 20 pounds and a year old, they should stay rear-facing. This is because babies younger than a year don't have strong enough neck muscles to handle the whiplash that can result from being thrown forward in an accident. Furthermore they are at greater risk of spinal injuries in head-on accidents.
You can purchase convertible or all-in-one seat, which will allow your child to remain rear-facing until they meet the weight and height limit for the seat. They are usually bucket-style infant seats that come with the base that you can install in your vehicle. They are also removed from the base and attached to strollers in order to form travel systems. They are typically lighter in weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
Alternatively, you can get a booster seat. They are typically equipped with a harness for young children and can be converted into a belt-positioning booster seat when your child is ready. This kind of car seat has the main benefit of being used in your car for the duration of your child's life making it simpler to move them from one vehicle into another.
It doesn't matter what car seat you choose, read the instructions and adhere to the guidelines. It is also a good idea to speak with a certified car seat safety technician to ensure that the child's car seat is set up and used properly. The misuse of car seats is common, and even well-meaning parents could cause harm to their children if they don't know what they're doing. The best way to avoid this is to read the instructions for car seats and following the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose a convertible newborn child car seat because they can grow with their baby and allow them to travel safely through toddlerhood and into infancy. They are also less expensive than infant car seats and have a long lifespan. But, it's crucial to choose a model that is easy to install and is suitable for your vehicle. Also, make sure to keep your baby safe by securing them in a proper manner each time.
Snug straps prevent the head from slipping to a risky chin-to-chest stance, which can cause strangulation or asphyxiation. A majority of infant car seats have straps that are not buckled or loose. This is a serious safety concern. Straps that are not buckled can result in a neck that hangs loose, which has been the cause of many accidents. The crotch buckle could cause danger in the event that it is not secure enough to pass the pinch test. This test will determine if the crotch buckle is close enough to stop a baby's legs from sliding around in the seat and causing them to be trapped or cut.
Some convertible infant car seat s include torso heights that are adjustable, which allows you to alter the height limit based on your child's development. The minimum torso height should be at least the height of the shoulders of your infant or an inch lower. Some models include an infant insert that can assist you in raising your child up to the right height.
The ideal convertible infant car seat should have a snug fit, comfortable padding, and a narrow base to allow you to install it easily in your vehicle. It should also come with a tight, snug harness that is able to pass the pinch test as well as a short, tightly rolled blanket or towel in case there is an accident. It should also come with a tether strap which is connected to the anchor points on your vehicle that can help reduce the risk of collision injuries by decreasing the impact force on your infant. It should also come with the travel set that is a car seat and stroller that you can use to transfer your baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
When choosing the right car seats for their babies, parents have many aspects to consider. Car seats are a crucial purchase for families with new children because their proper use can reduce the likelihood that a child will suffer an fatal motor vehicle crash injury by 71. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible model is based on a variety of factors, including safety features, compatibility with your vehicle, and ease-of-use.
Car seats for infants are created with the fragile baby's physiology in mind. They usually come with a base that stays in the vehicle, and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to transfer your baby from car to stroller, and then back without disturbing them. They come with a crotch and 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 newborn's neck and head. Metal, plastic and foam absorb energy and shield the baby's face from direct contact with the frame of a vehicle or any other object involved in an accident. Some come with a special pod 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 on newborn car seats. It keeps the straps of the harness flat against your baby's chest. This prevents the straps from pinching or bending at the shoulders, which can place your baby at a higher risk of injuries. If you select a seat with this feature, make sure that the chest clip is at armpit height. Do not dress your baby in heavy outerwear since it could hinder the harness.
Regardless of which type of car seat you choose make sure it's installed in your vehicle in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system consists of a connector which clips into the lower anchor points of your car, and a tether that hooks onto an anchor in the vehicle. If your car doesn't have LATCH, you may use a seat belt to secure the car seat.