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 infants from injury and even death in car accidents. They are fitted with harnesses that distribute the restraining forces over the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord and neck.
These seats are front-facing or convertible, and are available in a variety of sizes and weight limits. They could also be part of a travel system that can click into and out of the base of a stroller.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing car seats for newborns offer unmatched protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to support and cradle children, protecting their head, neck, and spine. They also aid in reducing injuries by keeping the force of an accident from striking your child. This is because the body of your child is not hitting the car seat or the front seat, but rather the soft, cushioned surface inside of their car seat.
According to the AAP as well as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, parents should keep their child facing rearwards until they reach their car seat's maximum weight or height limit. Most kids will outgrow their infant car seats around the age of one at which point they can move to an convertible car seat that is able to face forward. best car seat newborn uk pushchairsandprams.uk will leave their child in the rear seat until they turn two.
There are two types: infant-only car seat and convertible car seats. Both are equally secure and safe, but they each offer different advantages. For instance, infant-only seats are lighter and smaller. They also have a quick-release base that can be removed from the vehicle and reattached to a stroller. Convertible car seats are larger and heavier, but they don't have a built-in stroller base.
It is essential to use the back seat regardless of the seat type. It is also recommended to place washcloths that are tightly rolled or blankets between the crotch straps and your child to ensure that there is no gap in the harness. Also, ensure that the lower anchors are attached to the lower attachment points of the lower anchor bars of your vehicle and that the car seat is correctly fitted and buckled.
Research suggests that babies who are facing the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in an accident. Car seats that are rear-facing allow infants to be less impacted when they hit the front of the car, instead of the rear, which can lead to serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Most parents have put a lot of thought into their baby car seat. It was an important item on your baby registry and the way you brought your child home from the hospital. You may think about changing the car seat to face forward when your child grows older. It's important to keep it in mind that your child's not ready until they reach the weight and height limits established by their car seat manufacturer.
Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at least 20 pounds and reaches the age of one year. Children under one year old don't have the neck muscles required to withstand whiplash when involved in an accident. Moreover, they are at greater chance of suffering spinal injuries from head-on collisions.
You can buy a convertible or all-in-one car seat that allows you to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the weight and height 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 be removed and connected to strollers to form a travel system. However, they tend to have smaller maximum weight and height limits than a standard convertible car seat.
You can also purchase a booster. These seats are equipped with a harness and can be transformed into a booster that allows your child to wear a seat belt when they are ready. The major benefit of this type of car seat is that it can remain in your vehicle all through the childhood years making it easy to move your child from one vehicle to another.
No matter what car seat you pick, always read the manual and follow the instructions for installation. Contact a certified car safety technician to make sure that your child's car seat has been installed and used properly. Car seat misuse is very frequent, and even the most well-meaning parents could injure their children if they don't know what they're doing. The best way to avoid this is to read the instructions for your car seat and following the advice of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose a convertible newborn car seat because they can grow with your child and allow them to travel safely from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. These seats are less expensive than infant ones and have a longer life span. It's important to select one that fits your vehicle and is easy to install. Also, make sure to ensure your child's safety by buckling them properly every time.
Snug straps stop the head from shifting into the dangerous chest-to-chin position that could lead to strangulation or even asphyxiation. A lot of infant carseats have straps that are unbuckled or loose, and this is a major safety risk. Straps that are not buckled can result in a dangling neck that has been the source of many accidents. The crotch buckle could pose a risk in the event that it is not secure enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines if the crotch buckle is tight enough to prevent a newborn's legs from sliding around in the seat and leading to them getting injured or trapped.
Some convertible infant car seats include an adjustable torso that allows you to adjust the height limit according to the growth of your child. The minimum torso height should be equal to the height of your infant's shoulders or one inch lower. Some models come with an infant insert that can aid in raising your child to the proper height.
The best convertible car seat for newborns should be comfortable, with soft padding and a slim base to allow you to fit it into your vehicle. It should also come with a snug, tight harness that passes the pinch test and a small and tightly-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 baby. It should also include a travel set that is a car seat and stroller that you can use to transfer your baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must think about when choosing the appropriate car seat for their newborns. Car seats are a must-have for families with young children because using them reduces the chance of fatal collisions with motor vehicles by 71 percent. The decision between a child's car seat and a convertible model comes down to several factors, including safety features, compatibility with your vehicle, and the ease of use.
Car seats for infants are designed with the fragile physiology of a newborn in mind. They usually come with a base that stays in the vehicle, and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from car to stroller and back without causing any disturbance to them. They have a crotch and harness that are built-in to keep your child safe.
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. They have plastic, metal, and foam that absorbs energy, and protects the head of the infant from direct contact with the frame of the vehicle or other objects involved in a collision. Some even include a special pod on the door side that extends to shield the baby's head.
Another safety feature that's becoming more common in newborn car seats is a chest clip that holds the harness straps straight across your newborn's chest. This stops the straps from slipping or twisting at the shoulders, which can expose your baby to greater risk of injury. If you opt for a car seat that has this feature, ensure the chest clip is placed at armpit height. You should also be sure to avoid dressing your baby in bulky clothes that might interfere with the fit of the harness.
Regardless of which kind of car seat you pick ensure that it's mounted in your vehicle in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Look for the lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system that consists of an attachment that clips onto a car's lower anchor points and a tether strap that attaches to the top of the seat and hooks to an anchor inside your vehicle. If your vehicle doesn't have LATCH, you can use a seat belt to secure the car seat.