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 is designed to protect infants from injury and death in vehicle accidents. They have a harness that distributes the force of restraining over the child's body and head rather than the spinal cord and neck.
These seats are available in rear-facing and convertible versions, as well as with the option of varying weights and height limits. These seats can also be part of a set for travel that snaps into the base of a stroller.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing car seats for newborns offer unbeatable protection in crashes for infants. They are designed to hold and support children, ensuring their neck, spine, and head. They also help reduce injuries by preventing the impact of an accident from striking your child. This is because the child's body does not collide with the car seat or the front seat. Instead, it is a soft, cushioned surface in their car seat.
Parents should keep their child facing rear until they reach the maximum weight or height limit of the car seat, as per the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The majority of children outgrow their infant car seats around age 1 at which point they can move to convertible car seats that can be oriented forward. Many parents will put their child in the rear seat until their child turns two.
There are two main kinds of rear-facing car seats convertible car seats. Both are equally secure and safe, but they each offer different conveniences. For instance, infant-only chairs are lighter, smaller, and have an easy release base that is able to be removed from the car and reattached to a stroller base. Convertible car seats are bigger and heavier, but they do not have a built-in stroller base.
No matter what type of seat you select it is essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions and to always place the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. It is also recommended to place washcloths that are tightly rolled or blankets between the crotch straps and your child to ensure there is no slack in the harness. Also, ensure 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.
While there is much disagreement about how long a child should ride rear-facing, research shows that infants up to 12 months old are less likely to sustain injuries in car accidents when they're facing the back of the car. Car seats that are rear-facing allow infants to experience less impact when they hit the car's front instead of the rear, which can lead to serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Most parents have put a lot of thought into their baby car seat. It was an important item on your baby registry and the way you brought your child home from the hospital. Now as your child gets older though, you might be considering turning the car seat around to facing forward. However, it's important keep in mind that children aren't yet ready for this until they reach the weight and height 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 younger than one year don't have the neck muscles needed to resist whiplash resulting from being involved in an accident. Additionally they are at a higher risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on accidents.
You can buy a convertible car seat or an all-in one seat that lets you 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 car seats that connect to a base for installation in your vehicle. The base can then be detached and attached to strollers as a travel system. However, they usually have smaller weight and height limits than the standard convertible car seats.
Alternatively, you can get a booster seat. These are usually equipped with a harness for younger children, and then convert to a belt-positioning booster seat when your child is ready for it. The primary benefit of this kind of car seat is that it can remain in your vehicle throughout the child's life making it easy to move your child from one place to another.
No matter what car seat you select make sure you read the instructions and follow the instructions for installation. Consult a certified car safety technician to ensure that your child's car seat has been installed and is used in a safe manner. The misuse of car seats is frequent, and even the most well-meaning parents could injure their children if they don't understand what they're doing. 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 infant car seat since they grow with their child and allow them to safely travel through infancy and toddlerhood. These seats are also less expensive than infant car seats and offer an extended lifespan. It's important to select a model that fits your car and is easy to install. Be sure to keep your baby safe by buckling them up correctly each time.
Snug straps prevent the head from slipping into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture, which can cause strangulation or asphyxiation. A majority of infant car seats have straps that are loose or not buckled. This is a serious security issue. Straps that are not buckled can result in a neck that hangs loose, which is the cause of numerous accidents. If the crotch strap is not sufficiently tight enough to pass a pinch test, it may cause danger. This test will determine whether the crotch strap is tight enough to prevent the legs of a newborn from sliding in the seat, causing them to get trapped or cut.
Some convertible newborn car seat include torso heights that are adjustable, which allows you to alter the height limit according your child's growth. The minimum torso must be the same as the height of the shoulders of your infant, or one inch lower. Some models come with an infant insert to bring your child up to the correct height for the seat.
The most suitable convertible infant car seat should be a snug fit, comfortable padding, and a slender base to allow you to install it easily in your vehicle. best car seats for newborns uk should also feature an incredibly tight, snug harness that passes the pinch-test, and a short, tightly-rolled towel or blanket for emergencies. It should also include a tether strap which is connected to the anchor points on your vehicle, which can reduce crash injuries by cutting down the impact force on your baby. It should also include a travel set that is a stroller and car seat that can be used to transfer your baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must think about when choosing the right car seat for their infants. 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 a baby car-seat and a convertible one comes down to several factors, including safety features, compatibility with your vehicle, and convenience.
Car seats for infants are designed to keep the delicate physiology of a newborn in mind. The base of the seat is usually located in the car and the carrier snaps into the position. This makes it simple to move your baby from stroller to car and back without causing any disturbance. They come with a crotch as well as a harness built in to ensure your child secure.
Some infant cars are also equipped with side impact protection, which disperses the force of a crash away from the infant's head and neck. Plastic, metal and foam absorb energy and shield the baby's face from direct contact with the frame of a vehicle or any other object involved in a collision. Some include a special pod that extends beyond the door to protect the head of the child.
A chest clip is a different safety feature that is becoming more popular on infant car seats. It keeps the harness straps flat against the chest of your baby. The straps aren't strained or twisting around the shoulders which can expose your child to the risk of injury. If you choose a seat with this feature, make sure the chest clip is placed at armpit height. It is also important to not dress your child in bulky clothing which could hinder the fit of the harness.
Whatever type of car seat you choose make sure it's installed in your vehicle according to the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, which consists of a connector that clips into a car's lower anchor points and a tether strap that attaches to the top of the seat and connects to an anchor inside your vehicle. If your car doesn't have LATCH, you may use the seat belt to secure the car seat.