Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A car seat for newborns is also referred to as an infant safety seat or a baby car seat, helps protect infants from injury and even death from car accidents. They have a harness that distributes the restraint forces across the head and body of the child instead of the spinal cord or neck.
They can be rear-facing or convertible and are available in a range of heights and weight limits. These seats can also be part of a set for travel that snaps into a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing newborn child car seats provide unbeatable protection in accidents for infants. They are designed to support and cradle children, while protecting their neck, head, and spine. They also help to reduce injuries by keeping the impact of an accident from striking your child. This is because the body of your child is not colliding with the vehicle seat or the front passenger seat, but rather the soft, cushioned surface inside 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 rear facing until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. The majority of children will outgrow their infant carseat around the age of one at which point they can move to convertible car seats that can face forward. However, many parents will prefer to keep their child in a rear-facing seat until the 2nd birthday of their child.
There are two primary types: infant-only car seats and convertible car seat. Both are equally secure, however they offer distinct advantages. Infant-only seats, for example are smaller and lighter. They also have the quick-release base which can be easily removed from the vehicle and attached to a stroller. Convertible car seats are heavier and larger. They also don't include a stroller base.
No matter what type of seat you pick it is essential to adhere to the instructions of the manufacturer and ensure that you use the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. You can also place a tightly rolled blanket or washcloth between the crotch straps and your child to ensure that the harness is securely secured. Ensure that the lower anchors of your car seat are securely installed and are connected to the lower attachment points on the lower anchor bars.
Research shows that babies who sit in the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in a car accident. Babies in rear-facing car seats also experience a lesser impact when they strike 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 a lot of consideration to their newborn car seat. It was a key item on your baby registry as well as the method you used to bring your baby home from the hospital. You may think about changing the car seat to face forward when your child grows older. However, it's important to keep in mind that children aren't yet ready 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 least 20 pounds and is at the age of one year. This is because children younger than one year don't have enough neck muscles to handle the whiplash that results from being forced forward in an accident. They are also at a higher risk of spinal injuries in head-on collisions.
You can purchase a convertible car seat or an all-in one seat that allows you to keep the child rear-facing up until the child reaches the weight and height limits of the seat. They are usually bucket-style infant seats that come with an installation base that can be inserted into your vehicle. They are also detached from the base and reattached to strollers to create travel systems. However, they tend to have smaller maximum weight and height limits than a standard convertible car seat.
You can also purchase an extra booster. These seats are equipped with a harness, and can be transformed into a booster seat that allows your child to wear a seat belt once they are ready. This type of car seat has the primary advantage that it can be used in your vehicle throughout the duration of your child's childhood making it simpler to transport them from one vehicle into another.
It doesn't matter what car seat you pick, read the instructions and follow them. best car seats infant 's also a good idea to speak with a certified car seat safety technician to ensure that the child's car seat is installed and used in a safe manner. The misuse of car seats is common, and even well-meaning parents could cause harm to their children if they don't understand what they're doing. The best way to prevent this is to read the car seat instructions and following the recommendations of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for a convertible newborn child car seat, as they grow with their child and allow them to safely travel through infancy and toddlerhood. They are less expensive than infant seats and offer an extended life. It's important to select a model that fits your vehicle and is simple to install. Also, make sure that you buckle up your baby properly every time.
Snug straps keep the head from shifting into the risky chin-to-chest position that can cause strangulation or even asphyxiation. A lot of infant carseats have straps that are unbuckled or loose which pose a major safety risk. Straps that aren't buckled could cause a neck to hang and cause of numerous accidents. The crotch buckle could cause danger when it isn't tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines if the crotch strap is tight enough to prevent the legs of a newborn baby from slouching in the seat and causing them to be cut or trapped.
Some convertible car seats for newborns come with an adjustable torso-height that allows you to alter the height limit to suit 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 correct height.
The most suitable convertible infant car seat should have a snug fit, comfortable padding, and a slender base to allow you to install it easily in your car. It should also have a snug, tight harness that is able to pass the pinch test and a small, tightly rolled blanket or towel in case of an accident. It should also come with a tether strap which is connected to the anchor points on your vehicle that can help reduce the risk of collision injuries by decreasing the impact force on your infant. It should also come with a travel set, which is a car seat and stroller that you can use to transfer your infant from the vehicle to the stroller.
Safety features
When it comes to choosing the best car seats for their infants parents must consider a myriad of aspects to consider. Car seats are a crucial purchase for families who are starting a new life and their use reduces the risk that your child will suffer an fatal motor vehicle crash injury by 71. The decision between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat comes down to some key factors, including safety features that are compatible with your car and the ease of use.
Infant car seats are made with the delicate physiology and body of a newborn in mind. The seat's base is usually in the car and the carrier snaps into its place. This makes it simple to move your baby from stroller to car, and back without causing any disturbance. They also come with harnesses built-in and a crotch strap that ensure your baby's safety.
Some infant cars come with side impact protection that disperses the force of a crash away from the baby's neck and head. They are made of metal, plastic and foam that absorbs energy and protects the baby's head from direct contact with the frame or other objects in the event of a collision. Some include a special pod that extends from the door to protect the head of the child.
A chest clip is a different safety feature that is becoming more common on newborn car seats. It keeps the harness straps flat against your baby's chest. The straps aren't strained or bending around shoulders which can put your child at risk of injury. If you decide to purchase a car seat with this feature, ensure that the chest clip is placed at the armpit level. Avoid dressing your baby in bulky clothing as it can interfere with the harness.
No matter what kind of car seat you select, check that it's installed in your vehicle in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Check for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system that consists of connectors that clip into the lower anchor points of a car and the tether strap, which is attached to the top of the seat. It then connects to an anchor in your vehicle. If your vehicle does not have LATCH, a seatbelt may be used to secure the car seats.