Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat is also referred to a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It is designed to protect infants against injuries and deaths in car accidents. The harness distributes the restraining force across the body and head of the child instead of the spinal cord or neck.
They are available in rear-facing as well as convertible versions, and with an array of weight and height limits. They can also be part of a travel system that clicks into and out of the base of a stroller.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing newborn child car seats provide unmatched protection in crashes for infants. They are designed to hold and support children, securing their head, neck, and spine. They also help to disperse the impact of a collision to prevent your child's body from being hit which reduces the risk of injuries. This is because the child's body doesn't collide with the car seat or the front passenger seat. Instead, it is an upholstered, soft surface in their car seat.
According to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, parents should keep their child rear facing until they reach their car seat's maximum weight or height limit. The majority of children outgrow their infant carseat around the age of 1 and can transition to convertible car seats that can be oriented forward. Many parents will keep their child in the rear seat until their child turns two.
There are two types: infant-only car seats and convertible car seat. Both are equally safe, but each offers different features. Infant-only seats, for example are lighter and smaller. They also have an easy-release base that can be easily removed from the vehicle and reattached to a stroller. Convertible car seats are larger and heavier, but they do not have an integrated stroller base.
It is crucial to always use the back seat, regardless of the seat type. You can also place an enveloping blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure the harness is securely secured. Check that the lower anchors of your car seat are correctly installed and are connected to the lower anchor points on the lower anchor bars.
Research shows that babies who sit in the rear of the car are less likely to get injured in a car accident. Car seats with rear-facing seats allow babies to feel less stress when they crash into the front of the car, as opposed the the back, which can lead to serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Many parents have given plenty of thought to their infant's car seat. It was a major item on the baby registry, and was the method you used to get your baby home from the hospital. www.pushchairsandprams.uk might think about changing the car seat to face forward as your child grows older. However, it's important keep in mind that children aren't yet ready for this until they reach the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat.
As long as your baby weighs at least 20 lbs and a year old, they should stay rear-facing. Children under one year old don't have the neck muscles required to resist whiplash resulting from being thrown in an accident. Furthermore they are at greater risk of spinal injuries in head-on collisions.
You can buy a convertible or all-in-one car seat that allows your child to remain rear-facing until they meet the weight and height limits for the seat. These are typically bucket-style infant seats that come with the base that you can install in your vehicle. They can also be separated from the base and connected to strollers to form travel systems. They typically have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
You can also buy an extra booster. They are typically equipped with a harness designed for smaller children, and then convert to a belt-positioning booster seat when your child is ready for it. The primary benefit of this type of car seat is that it can 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 select, read the instructions and follow the guidelines. Contact a certified car safety technician to ensure your child's car seat is properly installed and used properly. It is common for parents to misuse car seats, and even well-intentioned parents could cause harm to their children. It is best to read the instructions on the car seat and follow the advice of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose a convertible newborn car seat because they can expand with your child and allow them to travel safely from infancy to toddlerhood. These seats are cheaper than infant ones and have a longer life span. However, it's important to select a seat that is easy to install and will fit in your vehicle. Also, make sure you secure your baby in the correct way each time.
Snug straps prevent the head from shifting into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture which could lead to strangulation or asphyxiation. A lot of infant carseats have straps that are unbuckled or loose, and this is a serious safety risk. Straps that aren't buckled can cause an unbalanced neck which has been the source of many accidents. If the crotch strap isn't sufficiently tight enough to pass the pinch test, it can be a risk. This test determines if the crotch buckle is tight enough to stop a baby's legs from sliding down the seat and causing them to be cut or trapped.
Some convertible car seats for newborns come with an adjustable torso-height that allows you to alter the height limit according your child's growth. The minimum torso height should be the same as the height of the shoulders of your infant, or an inch lower. Some models include an infant insert that can aid in raising your child up to the correct height.
The best convertible car seat for infants should be snug, have soft padding and a slim base that allows you to fit it into your vehicle. It should also come with a snug, tight harness that can pass the pinch test, and a small, tightly rolled blanket or towel in case in the event of an accident. It should also include a tether strap that attaches to the anchor points on your vehicle and can reduce crash injuries by decreasing the impact force on your baby. It should also come with the 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 choosing the right car seats for their infants parents must consider a myriad of factors to consider. However, car seats are a crucial purchase for families who are just starting out because using them reduces the risk of fatal child collisions in motor vehicles by 71 percent. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible seat comes down to several key elements, including safety features that are compatible with your car and user-friendliness.
Car seats for infants are designed with the fragile physiology of a newborn in mind. The seat's base is typically in the car and the infant carrier snaps into its place. This makes it easy to transfer your baby from stroller to car, and back without causing any disturbance. They come with a crotch and harness that are built-in to keep your child secure.
Some infant cars come with side impact protection that distributes crash force away from the baby'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 an accident. Some include a specially designed pod on the door side that extends out to shield the head of the infant.
A chest clip is another safety feature that is becoming more common in car seats for newborns. It keeps the straps of the harness flat against the chest of your baby. This prevents the straps pinching or bending around shoulders, which could expose your child to risk of injury. If you choose a seat with this feature, make sure the chest clip is set at the armpit height. You should also avoid dressing your baby in bulky clothes that might interfere with the harness's fit.
Verify that the car seat is set up according to the instructions of the manufacturer regardless of the type you select. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system consists of connectors that clip into the lower anchor points of your car and a tether that hooks onto an anchor in the vehicle. If your car does not have LATCH, a seatbelt may be used to secure car seats.