Baby Seat Safety
Buying the right baby seat for your child or infant with baby seat safety in mind can be a
confusing experience. There are many models and brand on the
market today. How do you choose an infant car seat that is both
effective in protecting your infant, while at the same time
providing an appropriate level of comfort and ease of use. These are
legitimate concerns that become even more important when you
factor in the spate of recalled baby seats/carriages in the
last four years.
Rest assured,
there are good car seats that will provide safety, comfort
and ease of use for your infant. The golden rule of thumb
is to purchase a car seat with a proven track record and use
it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Consistent
and correct use of the car safety seat is the best way to
insure the safety of your infant.
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Questions
to Consider
Several
important questions should guide your decision making process
when looking for the appropriate car seat/carrier.
•
Is the car seat the appropriate size and type for
your infant?
• Is the car seat going to provide comfort for
your child?
• Is the car seat going to fit in my car, on
the appropriate seat (length and width)?
• Is it going to fasten securely in my car?
• How difficult is it going to be to get a secure,
safe fit?
• How easy will it be to fasten my child into?
• 4 Basic types of Baby Seats
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Is the
car seat the appropriate size and type for your infant?
Is the car seat going to provide comfort for your child?
Is the car seat going to fit in my car, on the appropriate
seat (length and width)?
Is it going to fasten securely in my car?
How difficult is it going to be to get a secure, safe fit?
How easy will it be to fasten my child into?
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4 Basic types of Baby Seats
Infant
car seat—this type of seat is typically for infants who
weigh less than 20 pounds and are under one year of age. These
types of seats are to be used in a rear-facing position in
the back seat.
Convertible
seat—this seat is initially used as a rear-facing infant
seat, similarly to the infant seat above. Once your baby reaches
one year of age and at least 20 pounds, the seat converts
to a forward-facing seat. The seat can remain in this forward-facing
position until your child weighs 40 pounds and is roughly
43 inches tall.
Toddler
seat—These seats are always placed in the forward-facing
position and are suited for children older than one year of
age who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds.
Booster
seat—These seats are meant for children who have outgrown
the toddler safety seat. Often times, children want to use
a booster seat instead of their toddler seat. However, the
booster seat does not provide the same amount of protection
as the full-size car seat. Booster seats do good provide protection
for children up to roughly 70 pounds.
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Tips
for Buying a Used Baby Car Seat
Purchasing
a used car seat can be a more cost effective route, while
still insuring the protection and safety of your child. There
are several considerations to factor in before your buy, however.
•
Never buy a baby seat that was manufactured prior
to January 1, 1981. This was when regulatory agencies
required car seats to be made according to more stringent
federal safety standards.
• Avoid purchasing a baby seat that does not
include a label with its manufacturing date included
on it.
• Avoid buying a car seat that does not clearly
show its model number on the side or bottom of the
seat. You can check the model number to see whether
or not there are safety issues associated with your
particular baby car seat. In order to do this, visit
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
website-- found in the LINKS section of this website.
• Never purchase a car/baby seat that appears
to have parts missing or that do not seem to function
properly.
• Do not use a car seat that has been involved
in an automobile crash. Always ask whether a car seat
has been involved in an accident when purchasing or
receiving a baby seat. Car crashes can place undue
stress on the car seat handles and compromise the
overall strength of the baby seat.
• Because of ever strengthening regulations for
car seats, a general rule of thumb is--the newer the
car seats, the safer it is. However, always check
to make sure that the model baby seat has not had
safety issues or been recalled by the NHTSA.
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Tips
for Using a Baby Seat Correctly
Unfortunately,
many baby seats are installed incorrectly, and/or children
are placed incorrectly into the seats. When this occurs, parents
are placing their infants at risk for serious injury. The
following guidelines are meant for parents and childcare providers
to insure the proper installation, safety, and use of their
car seats.
•
Never place a child or infant into a car seat in the
front passenger seat of a car equipped with a passenger-side
air bag. In the event of an accident and the air bag
is deployed, the result can be serious injury or death
for the infant.
• Always place the baby seat in the back seat
of a vehicle. A rear-facing baby seat should never
be placed where it can come in contact with an airbag.
• Secure the car seat tightly, allowing as little
movement as possible at the base of the car seat.
• Check to make sure that an infant’s harness
straps are running over the child's shoulders. They
should sit flat along the infant’s chest.
• The harness clip should lie flat at armpit
level.
• You should not be able to fit more than a finger
between the harness strap and the infant’s shoulders.
• Make sure that your infant is using the most
appropriate type of car seat according to their age
and weight.
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°
For infants up to 1 year and 20 pounds, use a rear-facing
seat.
° For infants one year of age and up to 30-40
pounds, use a forward-facing seat.
° For infants weighing more than 30-40 pounds,
use a booster seat.
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