Baby Car Seats Safety Tips # 1

From birth to at least age 1 and 20 pounds:

• Use a rear-facing car seat correctly in a back seat every time your baby rides in a car.
• Use the right car seat for your baby’s weight and height. Infants are weighed and measured at every doctor visit, so be sure to keep track.
• Use the car’s safety belt or LATCH system to lock the car seat into the car. Your car seat should not move more than one inch side to side or front to back. Grab the car seat at the safety beltpath or LATCH path to test it.
• Put harnesses through the slots so they are even with or below the infant’s shoulders. Be sure the harness is tight, so you can’t pinch extra webbing at the shoulder.
• Adjust the chest clip to armpit level.

How Long Should Children Ride Facing the Back of the Car?

According to a 2008 article in the professional journal Pediatrics, children under age two are 75% less likely to be killed or suffer severe injuries in a crash if they are riding rear facing rather than forward facing. In fact, for children 1–2 years of age, facing the rear is five times safer.

If a baby is riding in an infant–only seat (the type that usually has a handle and detachable base) it should be replaced with a rear–facing convertible seat before the baby reaches the maximum weight specified (22-35 pounds) or if the top of the head is within an inch of the top edge of the seat. Most babies outgrow the typical infant–only seat before they are one year old, but they are not ready for a forward–facing seat. New convertible seats available today allow children to remain rear facing until they weigh 30-45 pounds, depending on the model.     Read more...