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 against injury and death during vehicle accidents. They come with a harness that distributes the restraining forces over 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 the option of varying weights and height limits. car seats by age can also be a part of a set for travel that snaps into a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing car seats for newborns offer unmatched protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to support and cradle children, ensuring their neck, spine and head. They also help reduce injuries by keeping the force of an accident from hitting your child. This is because the child's body doesn't collide with the vehicle seat or the front seat. Instead, it's a soft, cushioned area in their car seat.
According to the AAP as well as 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 their car seat's maximum weight or height limit. Around age 1, most children will outgrow their infant car seat and be moved to a convertible seat that can be oriented forward. But, many parents want to keep their child in a rear-facing seat until they turn 2.
There are two primary kinds of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats and convertible car seats. Both are safe and safe, but they each offer different conveniences. Infant-only seats, for instance, are smaller and lighter. They also come with a quick-release base that can easily be detached from the vehicle and reattached to a stroller. Convertible car seats are bigger, heavier, and do not have an integrated stroller base.
It is important that you always use the back seat regardless of the seat type. You can also put a tightly rolled blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure the harness is securely secured. In addition, make sure that the lower anchors are connected to the lower attachment points of your vehicle's lower anchor bars and that the car seat is properly installed and buckled.
Research shows that babies who sit in the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in a car accident. Babies in rear-facing car seats also experience less impact when they crash into the front of the car, as opposed to the back of the car seat, which can cause serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Many parents have given a lot of attention to their baby's car seat. It was a key item on your baby registry and the method you used to bring your baby home from the hospital. Now that your child is older, you may be thinking about turning the car seat around to facing forward. However, it's important to be aware that children aren't quite ready for this until they reach the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat.
Until your baby is at least 20 lbs and one year old, they should be rear-facing. This is because kids under one year old don't have enough neck muscles to handle the whiplash caused by being thrown forward in an accident. They also have greater risk of suffering from spinal injuries when involved in head-on collisions.
You can purchase convertible or all-in-one seat that allows your child to remain facing the rear until they reach the height and weight limit for the seat. These are typically bucket-style infant seats that come with an installation base that can be inserted into your car and can be removed from the base and reattached to strollers to create travel systems. However, they usually have smaller weight and height limits than the standard convertible car seat.
If you prefer, you can purchase a booster seat. These seats are equipped with a harness and can be converted into a booster seat which allows your child to wear a seat belt once they are ready. The primary benefit of this kind of car seat is that it will remain in your vehicle all through the childhood years, making it easy to move your child from one place to another.
It doesn't matter which car seat you choose be sure to read the instructions and follow them. Contact a certified car safety technician to ensure that your child's car seat is properly installed and is used in a safe manner. It is common for parents to misuse car seats, and even the most well-intentioned parents can cause injury to their children. It is best to study the instructions on the car seat and follow the advice of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose convertible car seats for newborns since they can develop with your child which allows them to safely travel from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. They are also less expensive than car seats for infants and have an extended lifespan. However, it is important to choose a model that is simple to install and fits your vehicle. Also, ensure that you buckle up your baby properly every time.
Snug straps stop the head from shifting to the dangerous chest-to-chin position that can cause strangulation or even asphyxiation. Many infant car seats come with straps that are not buckled or loose. This is a major safety concern. Unbuckled straps may cause necks to hang and cause of a lot of accidents. The crotch buckle could be a danger when it isn't tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines if the crotch buckle fits enough to prevent a baby's legs from sliding down the seat and result in them being cut or trapped.
Some convertible infant car seats have adjustable torso-height, which allows you to alter the height limit to suit the development of your child. The minimum torso must be the same as the height of the shoulders of your infant or an inch lower. Some models come with an infant insert that can help you raise your child up to the correct height.
The ideal convertible car seat for infants should be snug, have cushioning that is comfortable and a small base so that you can fit it into your vehicle. It should also have a snug, tight harness that is able to pass the pinch test and a small, tightly rolled blanket or towel in the event of an accident. It should also have a tether strap which is connected to your vehicle's anchor points, which can reduce crash injuries by decreasing the impact force on your baby. It should also include an infant travel set that includes a car seat and stroller that can be used to transfer your baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
When it comes to choosing the best car seats for their newborns, parents have many aspects to consider. Car seats are an important purchase for new families, as their correct use can reduce the likelihood that your child will suffer an fatal motor vehicle crash injury by 71 per cent. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible seat is based on several key elements that include safety features that are compatible with your car and the ease of use.
Car seats for infants are designed with the fragile baby's physiology in mind. The base of the seat is usually located in the car and the infant carrier snaps into the position. This makes it simple to transfer your baby from stroller to car and back without disturbing them. They also have built-in harnesses and a crotch strap that keep your baby secure.
Some infant cars are equipped with side-impact protection that distributes the force of a crash away from the infant's neck and head. They have plastic, metal and foam that absorbs energy and shields the head of the infant from direct contact with the frame or other objects involved in a collision. Some come with a special pod that extends beyond the door to protect the child's head.
Another security feature that's becoming more prevalent in car seats for newborns is a chest clip that holds the harness straps flat across the chest of your baby. This stops the straps from pinching or twisting at the shoulders, which can place your baby at a greater risk of injuries. If you choose a car seat that has this feature, make sure the chest clip is positioned at armpit level. It is also important to not dress your child in bulky clothing that might interfere with the harness's fit.
Regardless of which kind of car seat you choose, check that it's installed in your vehicle as per the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, which consists of connectors that clip into a car's lower anchor points and the tether strap, which is attached to the top of the seat and connects to an anchor inside your vehicle. If your vehicle isn't equipped with LATCH, you can still use a seat belt to secure the car seat.