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 infants from harm and death in car accidents. The harness distributes the restraint force over the child's body and head, rather than the neck or spinal cord.
They can be rear-facing or convertible and are available in a range of heights and weight limits. They can also be part of a travel system that can click into and out of the base of a stroller.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing car seats for newborns offer unbeatable protection in crashes for infants. They are designed to support and cradle children, ensuring their spine, neck and head. They also help reduce injuries by stopping the impact of an accident from striking your child. This is because your child's body isn't colliding with the vehicle seat or the front seat, but instead a soft, cushioned surface inside their car seat.
Parents should keep their child rear-facing until they reach maximum weight or height limit of their car seat, according to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The majority of children outgrow their infant car seats around the age of 1, at which point they can transition to a convertible car seat that can be oriented forward. Many parents will put their child in the rear seat until they turn two.
There are two types of rear-facing car seats that are convertible and infant-only car seats. Both are equally secure however, each has its own features. 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. infant car seats that swivel are larger, heavier, and don't have an integrated stroller base.
It is essential to use the back seat regardless of the type of seat. You can also put a blanket that is tightly rolled or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure the harness is secure. In addition, make sure that the lower anchors are attached to the lower attachment points of the lower anchor bars of your vehicle and that the car seat is properly fitted and secured.
Research suggests that babies who sit in the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in a car accident. Baby car seats that face rear also experience less impact when they hit the front of the car, as opposed to the rear of the car seat which can cause 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 how you got your little one home from the hospital. Now that your child is older, you may be considering 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.
Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at minimum 20 pounds and reaches the age of one year. Children under one year old don't have the neck muscles needed to resist whiplash resulting from being thrown in an accident. They are also at a higher risk of spinal injuries in head-on collisions.
You can buy convertible or all-in-one seat that allows your child to remain rear-facing until they meet the weight and height limits for the seat. They are usually 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. They typically have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
You can also get a booster. These seats come with a harness and can be converted into a booster seat that allows your child to wear a seat belt when they are ready. This kind of car seat has the principal benefit of being used in your car for the duration of your child's growing years, making it easier to move the car seat from one location to another.
It doesn't matter which car seat you select be sure to read the instructions and adhere to them. Consult a certified car safety technician to ensure your child's car seat is properly installed and is used in a safe manner. It is not uncommon for parents to abuse car seats, and even the most well-intentioned parents can cause injury to their children. The best way to avoid this is to read the instructions for your car seat and following the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for convertible infant car seats since they can develop with your child which allows them to travel safely from infanthood to toddlerhood. These seats are less expensive than infant seats and have a longer lifespan. However, it's important to select a seat that is easy to install and fits your vehicle. Additionally, be sure to protect your baby by buckling them up correctly each time.
Snug straps keep the head from shifting into the dangerous chest-to-chin position that can cause strangulation or asphyxiation. A lot of infant carseats have loose or unbuckled straps which pose an extremely risky safety issue. Unbuckled straps can lead to a dangling neck which is the cause of many accidents. If the crotch strap isn't enough tight to pass the pinch test, it can cause danger. This test determines if the crotch strap is tight enough to prevent the legs of a newborn from slouching in the seat, causing them to get cut or trapped.
Some convertible infant car seats include an adjustable torso, which lets you adjust the height limit based on your child's development. The minimum torso height should be the same as the height of the shoulders of your infant, or one inch lower. Some models include an infant insert to help raise your child to the correct height for the seat.
The ideal convertible car seat for infants should be comfortable, with cushioning that is comfortable and a small base so that you can install it easily into your vehicle. It should also have an incredibly tight, snug harness that passes the pinch test as well as a small, tightly-rolled towel or blanket for an emergency. It should also include an anchor tether that connects to the anchor points of your vehicle, which can help reduce injuries during an accident by reducing the force of impact. It should also come with the travel set that includes a stroller and car seat that can be used to transfer your child from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
When selecting the right car seats for their babies parents face a variety of things to take into consideration. However, car seats are an essential purchase for families with young children because using them reduces the chance of fatal collisions with motor vehicles by 71 percent. The decision between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat comes down to several key elements, including safety features, compatibility with your vehicle and user-friendliness.
Car seats for infants are made with the fragile physiology of a newborn in mind. The base of the seat is usually in the car and the carrier snaps into place. This makes it easy to transfer your baby from stroller to car, and back without disturbing them. They also come with built-in harnesses and a crotch strap that ensure your baby's safety.
Some infant cars are equipped with side-impact protection that disperses the crash force away from the infant's head and neck. Metal, plastic and foam absorb energy and protect the baby's face from direct contact with the frame of a vehicle or any other object in the event of a collision. Some have a special sock that extends beyond the door to protect the child's head.
A chest clip is a different safety feature that is becoming more prevalent in car seats for newborns. It keeps the harness straps firmly against your baby's chest. This stops the straps from pinching or twisting at the shoulders, which could put your baby at greater risk of injuries. If you choose a seat with this feature, ensure that the chest clip is placed at armpit height. It is also important to avoid dressing your child in bulky clothing that could interfere with the fit of the harness.
Make sure that the car seat is fitted according to the manufacturer’s instructions, regardless of what type you select. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system comprises an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of your vehicle and an tether that is attached to an anchor in the vehicle. If your vehicle isn't equipped with LATCH, you may use a seat belt to secure your car seat.