Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A car seat for newborns or infant safety seat or baby car seat, is a way to protect babies from injury and death in vehicle accidents. The harness distributes the restraining force to the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord or neck.
These seats can be either front-facing or convertible, and are available in a range of heights and weight limits. These seats can also be a part of a set for travel that snaps into a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing car seats for newborns offer the most complete protection for infants during crashes. They are designed to cradle and support children, while protecting their head, neck, and spine. They also aid in reducing injuries by keeping the impact of an accident from hitting your child. This is because the child's body does not hit the seat of the vehicle or the front passenger seat. Instead, it is a soft, cushioned surface in their car seat.
According to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend that parents keep their child facing rearwards 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 transition to a convertible car seat that can face forward. Many parents will put their child in the rear-facing seat until their child turns two.
There are two main kinds of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats and convertible car seats. Both are equally secure, but offer different conveniences. For example, infant-only seats are smaller, lighter, and have a quick release base which can be easily removed from the car, and then reattached to the base of a stroller. Convertible car seat are heavier and larger. They also don't include a stroller base.
It is important that you always use the back seat regardless of the seat type. You can also put an enveloping blanket or washcloth between the crotch straps and your child to ensure the harness is secure. Make sure that the lower anchors of your car seat are securely installed, and that they are connected to the lower attachment points on the lower anchor bars.
While there is much disagreement about how long a baby should be rear-facing, research has shown that babies up to 12 months old are less likely to be injured in car accidents if they are facing the back of the car. Car seats with rear-facing infants also experience less impact when they strike the front of the car, as opposed to the back of the car seat, which can result in serious injuries.
Forward-facing
The majority of parents have invested a lot of thought into their infant car seat. It was a major item on the baby registry and was the method you used to get your child home from the hospital. Now that your child is getting older though, you might be considering turning the car seat forward-facing. However, it's important 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.
When your baby is at least 20 lbs and one year old, they should stay rear-facing. This is because babies younger than one year old don't have neck muscles that can withstand the whiplash caused by being forced forward in an accident. They are also at greater risk of suffering from injury to the spine when involved in head-on collisions.
You can buy convertible or all-in-one seat, which will allow your child to remain rear-facing until they meet the weight and height limits for the seat. These seats are usually bucket-style infant seats that come with the base that you can install in your car and can be removed from the base and reattached to strollers in order to form travel systems. They typically have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
If you prefer, you can purchase a booster seat. These are usually equipped with a harness for younger children, and then convert into a belt-positioning booster seat once your child is ready for it. This type of car seat has the main benefit of being used in your vehicle for all of your child's growing years which makes it much easier to transport them from one vehicle into another.
Whatever car seat you pick, always read the manual and follow the installation guidelines. It's also a good idea to consult a certified seat safety technician to make sure that the child's car seat is properly installed and used in a safe manner. The misuse of car seats is frequent, and even the most well-meaning parents could cause harm to their children if they don't understand what they're doing. It is best to read the instructions on the car seat and follow the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose convertible infant car seat because they grow with their child and enable them to travel safely through toddlerhood and into infancy. They are also less expensive than infant car seats and have longevity for a long time. But, it's crucial to choose a seat that is simple to install and will fit in your vehicle. Also, make sure you buckle up your baby properly every time.
Snug straps stop the head from slipping into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture that could result in asphyxiation or strangulation. Many infant car seats come with unbuckled or loose straps. This is a major security issue. Unbuckled straps may cause a neck to hang and cause of numerous accidents. The crotch buckle may pose a risk if it is not tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test will determine whether the crotch strap is sufficiently tight to stop 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 that lets you alter the height limit according to 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 include an infant insert to help bring your child up to the correct height for the seat.
The ideal convertible infant car seat should have a snug fit, comfortable padding, and a small base to allow you to put it in your vehicle. It should also include a tight, snug harness that passes the pinch test, and a short, tightly rolled blanket or towel in the event of an accident. It should also have an tether strap that is attached to your vehicle's anchor points that can help reduce the risk of collision injuries by decreasing the force of impact on your infant. Additionally, best car seats newborn should come with the travel system, which comprises an infant car seat that can be paired with a stroller and a handle you use to transport your baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must consider when they're choosing the best car seat for their babies. Car seats are an essential purchase for new families because their proper use reduces the risk that children will be the victim of an fatal motor vehicle crash injury by 71. The decision between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat comes down to several key elements such as safety features and compatibility with your vehicle, and ease of use.
Car seats for infants are designed to keep the delicate physiology of a newborn in mind. They usually come with an attached base that remains in the vehicle, 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 strap that ensure your baby's safety.
Some infant cars also come with side impact protection, which is designed to disperse the force of collision away from the infant's head and neck. They have plastic, metal, and foam that absorbs energy, and protects the head of the infant from direct contact with the frame or other objects in the event of a collision. Some come with 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 prevalent on newborn car seats. It keeps the harness straps firmly against the chest of your baby. This prevents the straps from slipping or twisting at the shoulders, which could put your baby at higher risk of injuries. If you choose a car seat with this feature, ensure that the chest clip is placed at armpit height. Avoid dressing your baby in bulky outerwear as this could hinder the harness.
Verify that the car seat is fitted according to the instructions of the manufacturer regardless of the model you choose. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system comprises a connector which clips into the lower anchor points of your car and an tether that is attached to an anchor in the vehicle. If your vehicle does not have LATCH, a belt can be used to secure car seats.