Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat is also known as a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It protects babies against injuries and deaths in car accidents. They are fitted with a harness that distributes the force of restraining over the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord or neck.
They are available in rear-facing as well as convertible versions, as well as with a range of weight and height limits. They are also a part of a set for travel that can be converted into a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing newborn child car seats provide unmatched protection in crashes for infants. They are designed to hold and support children, while protecting their head, neck, and spine. In addition, they help to reduce the force of a crash from hitting your child's body and minimizing injuries. This is because your child's body isn't colliding with the vehicle seat or front passenger seat, but rather a soft, padded surface inside of 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. Around the age of one, most children will outgrow their infant car seat and be moved to a convertible seat that can be oriented forward. But, many parents prefer to keep their child in a rear-facing car seat until the 2nd birthday of their child.
There are two kinds: infant-only car seats and convertible car seat. Both are equally safe however, each has its own advantages. For instance, infant-only chairs are lighter, smaller, and have an easy release base that is able to be removed from the car, and then reattached to a stroller base. Convertible car seat are larger and heavier. They also do not come with a stroller base.
It is crucial to use the back seat, regardless of the seat type. It is also recommended that you place washcloths that are tightly rolled or blankets between the crotch straps and your baby to ensure that there is no gap in the harness. 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.
While there is much debate over how long a child should ride with their back facing, research suggests that infants up to 12 months old are less likely to sustain injuries in car accidents if they're facing the back of the car. Babies in rear-facing car seats also have less impact when they crash into the front of the car, as opposed to the rear of the car seat, which can cause serious injuries.
Forward-facing
The majority of parents have spent a lot of time into their infant car seat. It was a key item on the baby registry and was the method you used to get your baby home from the hospital. Now as your child gets older, you might be thinking about turning the car seat around to forward-facing. But, it's important to be aware that children aren't quite ready until they reach the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat.
Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at least 20 pounds and reaches the age of one year. Children under one year old do not have the neck muscles necessary to resist whiplash resulting from being hit in a crash. They are also at greater risk of suffering from spinal injuries when involved in head-on collisions.
You can buy a convertible car seat or an all-in one seat that will allow you to keep the child rear-facing up until the child is at the weight and height limits of the seat. These seats are usually bucket-style infant seats that come with the base that you can install in your vehicle. They are also detached from the base and connected to strollers in order to form travel systems. They typically have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
You can also get a booster. These are typically fitted with a harness designed for smaller children and can be converted to a belt-positioning seat when your child is ready. This type of car seat has the primary advantage that it can be used in your vehicle for all of your child's growing years, making it easier to move the car seat from one location to another.
It doesn't matter what car seat you choose follow the directions and adhere to the guidelines. Get a certified safety technician to make sure that your child's car seat is properly installed and used correctly. It is not uncommon for parents to make mistakes with car seats, and even the most well-intentioned parents could cause harm to their children. It is best to study the instructions on the car seat and follow the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for a convertible newborn child car seat, as they can expand with their child and allow them to travel safely through infancy and toddlerhood. These seats are less expensive than infant ones and have a a longer lifespan. It's important to select a model that fits your car and is easy to install. Also, ensure that you buckle up your baby in the correct way each time.
Snug straps stop the head from slipping into a dangerous chin-to chest position that could lead to strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant car seats come with straps that are loose or not buckled. This is a serious safety concern. Straps that aren't buckled can cause an unbalanced neck, which has been the cause of numerous accidents. The crotch buckle could be a danger when it isn't tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines whether the crotch buckle is secure enough to stop the legs of a newborn from sliding in the seat, causing them to get injured or trapped.
Some convertible car seats for newborns 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 one inch lower. Some models come with an infant insert to aid in raising your child up to the right height.
The best convertible car seat for newborns should be snug, have cushioning that is comfortable and a small base to allow you to put it in your vehicle. It should also feature a snug, tight harness that passes the pinch test as well as a small tight-rolled blanket or towel for an emergency. It should also have an attachment tether to the anchor points of your vehicle, which could reduce injuries in an accident by reducing the force of impact. It should also include an infant travel set that includes a car seat and stroller that can be used to transfer your infant from the vehicle to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must think about when choosing the appropriate car seat for their newborns. Car seats are a crucial purchase for families who are just starting out because using them reduces the risk of fatal child motor vehicle collision injuries by 70 percent. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible one comes down to several aspects, including safety features, compatibility of your vehicle, and convenience.
Car seats for infants are designed with the fragile baby's physiology in mind. They typically have a base that stays in the car and a carrier that snaps into place, making it easy to move your baby from the car to stroller and back without disturbing them. They also come with harnesses built-in and a crotch belt to ensure your baby's safety.
Some infant cars have side-impact protection, which distributes the crash force away from a newborn's neck and head. Metal, plastic and foam absorb energy and protect the baby's face from direct contact with a vehicle's frame or any other object in a collision. Some even have a special pod on the door side that extends to shield the baby's head.
Another safety feature that's becoming more common in newborn car seat s is a chest clip that holds the harness straps flat across your newborn's chest. The straps aren't strained or twisting around shoulders which can put your child at risk of injury. If you decide to purchase a car seat that has this feature, ensure the chest clip is placed at the armpit level. It is also important to be sure to avoid dressing your child in bulky clothing that could interfere with the harness's fit.
Check that the car seat is set up in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, regardless of what type you select. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system that consists of an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of a car and an tether strap that is attached to the top of the seat and connects to an anchor in your vehicle. If your car doesn't have LATCH, you can still use the seat belt to secure your car seat.