Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat or infant safety seat or a baby car seat, helps protect babies from injury and death in car accidents. They are fitted with a harness that distributes restraint forces across the head and body of the child rather than the spinal cord or neck.
These seats are available in rear-facing as well as convertible versions, and come with an array of weight and height limits. These seats can also be a part of a travel set that snaps into a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing car seats for newborns offer unmatched protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to hold and support children, while protecting their neck, spine, and head. Additionally, they assist to reduce the impact of a collision to prevent your child's body from being hit, reducing injuries. This is because the body of your child is not hitting the car seat or the front passenger seat, but rather a soft, padded surface inside of their car seat.
Parents should keep their child facing rear until they reach the maximum weight or height limit of the car seat, according to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Most kids will outgrow their infant car seat around the age of 1 and can transition to an convertible car seat that is able to face forward. But, many parents prefer to keep their child in a rear-facing seat until the 2nd birthday of their child.
There are two primary types of rear-facing car seat that are convertible and infant-only car seats. Both are safe, but have different features. For instance, infant-only chairs are smaller, lighter and have an easy release base that can be easily detached from the car and reattached to a stroller base. top rated infant car seats are heavier and larger. They also don't include a base for a stroller.
No matter what type of seat you select regardless of the type, you must follow the manufacturer's instructions and ensure that you use the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. You can also put a blanket that is tightly rolled or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure that the harness is securely secured. Check that the lower anchors of your car seat are correctly installed and are connected to the lower attachment points on the lower anchor bars.
Research shows that babies who face the rear of the car are less likely to get injured in a car accident. Car seats with rear-facing seats allow babies to experience less impact when they hit the car's front, in contrast to the rear which could result in serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Most parents have given a lot of thought to their infant's car seat. It was an important item on your baby registry and the method you took your child home from the hospital. Now that your child is getting older, you may be thinking about turning the car seat facing forward. It's important to keep it in mind that your child isn't ready until they reach the weight and height limits established by the car seat manufacturer.
Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at least 20 pounds and is at the age of one year. Children younger than one year don't have the neck muscles needed to withstand whiplash when thrown in an accident. They also face a higher risk of spinal injuries when involved in head-on collisions.
You can buy convertible or all-in-one seat that allows your child to remain facing the rear until they reach the height and weight limit for the seat. These seats are typically bucket-style infant car seats that are attached to a base for placement in your vehicle. The base can then be detached and attached to strollers as a travel system. They tend to have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
You can also get an extra booster. These seats are equipped with a harness, and can be transformed into a booster seat that lets your child wear a seat belt when they are ready. This kind of car seat has the primary advantage that it can be used in your vehicle for all of your child's childhood, making it easier to move them from one vehicle into another.
No matter what car seat you choose make sure you read the instructions and follow the installation guidelines. Consult a certified car safety technician to make sure that your child's car seat has been installed and is used in a safe manner. Incorrect use of a car seat is common, and even well-meaning parents could injure their children if they don't understand what they're doing. The best way to avoid this is by reading the instructions for your car seat and following the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for convertible car seats for newborns because they grow with your baby which allows them to safely travel from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. They are less expensive than infant ones and have a an extended life. It is important to choose the right model that is compatible with your vehicle and is simple to install. Additionally, be sure to ensure your child's safety by buckling them correctly each time.
Snug straps prevent the head from slipping into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture which could lead to asphyxiation or strangulation. A majority of infant car seats have straps that are loose or not buckled. This is a serious safety issue. Straps that aren't buckled can cause a dangling neck that has been the cause of numerous accidents. If the crotch strap has not been tightened enough to pass a pinch test, it could cause danger. This test will determine if the crotch buckle is tight enough to prevent a newborn's legs from sliding around in the seat, result in them being trapped or cut.
Some convertible newborn car seats come with an adjustable torso height, which lets you adjust the height limit based on your child's growth. The minimum torso height must be equal to the height of your infant's shoulders or one inch lower. Some models include an infant insert that will help you raise your child to the proper height.
The best convertible car seat for newborns should be comfortable, with soft padding and a slim base that allows you to fit it into your vehicle. It should also come with an incredibly tight, snug harness that passes the pinch test as well as a small tight-rolled blanket or towel to use in an emergency. It should also come with a tether strap which is connected to the anchor points of your vehicle, which can reduce crash injuries by cutting down the impact force on your infant. It should also come with an infant travel set, which is a car seat and stroller that you can use to transfer your child from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must consider when they're choosing the right car seat for their babies. Car seats are a must-have for families who are just starting out because using them reduces the risk of fatal motor vehicle collision injuries by 71 . The decision between a baby car seat and a convertible one is based on a variety of factors, such as safety features, compatibility of your vehicle, and convenience.
Car seats for infants are made to keep the delicate physiology of a newborn in mind. They typically have an attached base that remains in the vehicle, and a carrier that snaps into the position, making it simple to transfer your baby from the car to stroller, and then back without disturbing them. They also come with built-in harnesses and a crotch belt to ensure your baby's safety.
Some infant cars are also equipped with side impact protection that disperses the force of a crash away from the newborn's head and neck. Foam, metal, and plastic absorb energy and protect the baby's face from direct contact with a vehicle's frame or any other object involved in a collision. Some come with a special pod that extends beyond the door to protect the head of the child.
Another security feature that's becoming more prevalent in newborn car seats is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps straight across the chest of your baby. This stops the straps from pinching or twisting around shoulders, which could expose your child to the risk of injury. If you choose a car seat with this feature, make sure the chest clip is placed at armpit level. Avoid dressing your baby in heavy outerwear since it could hinder the harness.
Check that the car seat is set up according to the manufacturer’s instructions regardless of the model you select. Check for the lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system that consists of an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points on a car and the tether strap, which is attached to the top of the seat and hooks to an anchor in your vehicle. If your vehicle doesn't have LATCH, a belt can be used to secure the car seats.