Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat, also known as an infant safety seat or baby car seat, protects babies from injury and death in vehicle accidents. They have harnesses that distribute the restraint forces across the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord or neck.
These seats can be either rear-facing or convertible and come in a variety of height and weight limits. They could also be part of a travel system that clicks into and out of the base of a stroller.
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 neck, head, and spine. In addition, they help to reduce the force of a crash to prevent your child's body from being hit which reduces the risk of injuries. This is because the child's body does not collide with the vehicle seat, or front passenger seat. Instead, it is a soft, cushioned area within their car seat.
Parents should make sure that their child remains rear-facing until they reach maximum height or weight limit of their car seat, as per the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Most kids will outgrow their infant car seat around the age of 1 at which point they are able to transition to a convertible car seat that can be oriented forward. Many parents will keep their child in the rear seat until they turn two.
There are two types: infant-only car seats and convertible car seats. Both are safe, however they offer distinct advantages. Infant-only seats, for example are smaller and lighter. They also have the quick-release base which can be removed from the vehicle and then attached to the stroller. Convertible car seats are larger and heavier, but they don't have a built-in base for strollers.
Whatever seat you select it is essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions and always use the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. You can also put an enveloping blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure that the harness is tight. Check that the lower anchors of your car seat are properly installed, and that they are connected to the lower anchor points on the lower anchor bars.
There is a lot of debate over how long a baby should ride rear-facing, research shows that babies up to 12 months old are less likely to sustain injuries in car accidents if they are facing the rear of the car. Car seats with rear-facing infants also have less impact when they strike the front of the car, as opposed to the rear of the car seat which could result in serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Many parents have given plenty of consideration to their newborn car seat. It was a key item on the baby registry, and was the method you used to get your baby home from the hospital. Now that your child is older though, you might be thinking about turning the car seat around to forward-facing. However, it's important be aware that children aren't quite ready until they reach the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat.
When your baby is at least 20 pounds and one year old, they should be rear-facing. Children younger than one year don't have the neck muscles required to resist whiplash resulting from being thrown in an accident. They also face an increased risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on collisions.
You can buy a convertible car seat or an all-in one seat that lets you keep the child rear-facing until the child is at the weight and height limits of the seat. These seats are typically bucket-style infant car seats that connect to a base that can be installed in your vehicle. The base can then be detached and attached to strollers as a system for travel. However, they tend to have smaller weight and height limits than a standard convertible car seat.
If you prefer, you can purchase a booster seat. These seats come with a harness and can be transformed into a booster seat that lets your child wear a seat belt once they are ready. This type of car seat has the main advantage that it can be used in your car for the duration of your child's life, making it easier to transport the child from one vehicle to another.
No matter which car seat you select be sure to read the instructions and follow them. It's also a good idea to consult a certified safety technician for your seat to ensure that the child's car seat is installed and is used correctly. The misuse of car seats is frequent, and even the most well-meaning parents could injure their children if they aren't aware of what they're doing. The best way to prevent this is to read the instructions for car seats and following the recommendations of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose to purchase convertible car seats for newborns since they can develop with your child, allowing them to safely travel from infanthood to toddlerhood. They are also less expensive than infant car seats and have an extended lifespan. But, it's crucial to select a seat that is easy to install and will fit in your vehicle. Be sure to ensure your child's safety by buckling them in a proper manner each time.
Snug straps stop the head from moving to a risky chin-to-chest stance that could result in strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant car seats come with unbuckled or loose straps. This is a serious security issue. Unbuckled straps may cause a neck to hang and cause of many accidents. The crotch buckle may 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 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, which lets you adjust the height limit to suit your child's development. The minimum torso height should be equal to the height of the shoulders of your infant, or one inch lower. car seats newborn include an infant insert to bring your child up to the appropriate height for the seat.
The best convertible car seat for babies must be padded and comfortable, with soft padding and a slim base to allow you to put it in your vehicle. It should also feature an incredibly tight, snug harness that passes the pinch-test and a small tight-rolled blanket or towel for an emergency. It should also come with a tether strap that attaches to the anchor points of your vehicle and can reduce crash injuries by cutting down the force of impact on your infant. In addition it should be equipped with a travel system, which consists of a car seat that pairs with a stroller and has a handle you use to transport your infant from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must consider when they're choosing the best car seat for their newborns. However, car seats are a must-have for families with young children because using them reduces the risk of fatal child collisions in motor vehicles by 70 percent. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible one comes down to several aspects, including safety features, compatibility of your vehicle, and ease-of-use.
Car seats for infants are designed with the fragile baby's physiology in mind. They usually come with an attached base that remains in the car and an infant carrier that snaps into place, making it easy to move your baby from the car to stroller, and then back without causing any disturbance to them. They also come with built-in harnesses and a crotch belt to ensure your baby's safety.
Some infant cars are equipped with side-impact protection, which distributes the crash force away from a newborn's neck and head. Foam, metal, and plastic absorb energy and shield the baby's face from direct contact with a vehicle's frame or any other object involved in the event of a collision. Some include a specially designed pod on the side of the door that extends out to protect the head of the infant.
A chest clip is a different safety feature that is becoming more common on newborn car seats. It keeps the harness straps flat against the chest of your baby. The straps aren't strained or twisting around shoulders, which could expose your child to risk of injury. If you select a seat with this feature, make sure the chest clip is placed at armpit height. It is also important to be sure to avoid dressing your baby in bulky outerwear that could interfere with the fit of the harness.
Check that the car seat is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, regardless of what type you choose. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system consists of an attachment that clips onto the lower anchor points of your car and the tether which is attached to an anchor in the vehicle. If your car doesn't have LATCH, you can still use a seat belt to secure the car seat.