Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat is also referred to a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It helps protect babies from injury and death in car accidents. They come with harnesses that distribute the restraining forces over the head and body of the child instead of the neck and spinal cord.
These seats are rear-facing or convertible and are available in a variety of height and weight limits. They can also be a part of a set for travel that snaps into the base of a stroller.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing car seats for newborns offer the best protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to cradle and support children, protecting their head, neck, and spine. Additionally, they assist to reduce the force of a crash from hitting your child's body and minimizing injuries. This is because the child's body doesn't hit the seat of the vehicle or the front passenger seat. Instead, it is an upholstered, soft surface within their car seat.
Parents should ensure that their child is rear-facing until they reach maximum weight or height limit of the car seat, as per the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The majority of children will outgrow their infant carseat around age 1 and are able to transition to convertible car seats that is able to face forward. Many parents will put their child in the rear-facing seat until their child turns two.
There are two types of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats and convertible car seats. Both are equally safe but have different features. For instance, infant-only seats are smaller, lighter and come with 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 do not include a base for a stroller.
Whatever seat you pick regardless of the type, you must adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines and ensure that you use the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. You can also place an enveloping blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child's harness to ensure the harness is tight. 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 secured.
Research suggests that babies who face the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in a car accident. Rear-facing car seats allow babies to be less impacted when they hit the front of the car, in contrast to the rear, which can lead to serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Many parents have invested a lot of thought into their infant car seat. It was one of the most important items on the baby registry and how you got your baby home from the hospital. Now that your child is older, you may be considering turning the car seat around to forward-facing. It's important to keep in mind that your child isn't yet ready until they reach the weight and height 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. Children under one year old do not have the neck muscles needed to resist whiplash resulting from being thrown in an accident. Moreover infant car seats cheap are at a higher chance of suffering spinal injuries from head-on accidents.
You can purchase a convertible or an all-in-one car seat, which allows your child to remain rear-facing until they meet the weight and height limit for the seat. These seats are typically bucket-style infant car seats that attach to a base for placement in your vehicle. The base can then be removed and connected to strollers as a system for travel. However, they tend to have smaller weight and height limits than the standard convertible car seat.
You can also buy a booster. These are usually equipped with a harness for young children, and then convert to a belt-positioning seat once your child is ready for it. 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 which makes it much easier to transport the car seat from one location to another.
It doesn't matter what car seat you choose be sure to read the instructions and adhere to the guidelines. Consult a certified car safety technician to make sure that your child's car seat is installed and is used in a safe manner. It is typical for parents to misuse car seats, and even the most well-intentioned parents could cause harm to their children. It is best to study the instructions on the car seat and follow the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for convertible car seats for newborns because they expand with your child which allows them to travel safely from infancy to toddlerhood. These seats are cheaper than infant car seats and have an extended lifespan. It is important to choose one that fits your vehicle and is simple to install. Also, make sure that you buckle up your baby in the correct way each time.
Snug straps keep the head from shifting to the risky chin-to-chest position that could lead to strangulation or asphyxiation. A majority of infant car seats have straps that are not buckled or loose. This is a major safety concern. Straps that are not buckled can cause a neck to hang and cause of numerous accidents. If the crotch strap is not sufficiently tight enough to pass a pinch test, it could cause danger. 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 injured or trapped.
Some convertible infant car seats have adjustable torso-height, which allows you to adjust the height limit based on the development of your child. The minimum torso must be the same as the height of the shoulders of your infant or an inch lower. Some models include an infant insert that can assist you in raising your child to the proper height.
The ideal convertible infant car seat should have a comfortable fit, comfortable padding, and a slender base that allows you to install it in your vehicle. It should also have a secure, tight harness that passes the pinch test and a small, tightly-rolled towel or blanket for emergencies. It should also come with an anchor tether that connects to the anchor points of your vehicle, which can reduce injuries in collisions by reducing the impact force. It should also include a travel set that includes a car seat and stroller that can be used to transfer your infant from the vehicle to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents have a lot to take into consideration when selecting the best car seat for their babies. Car seats are a crucial purchase for new families because their proper use reduces the risk that your child will suffer a fatal motor vehicle accident injury by 71. The decision between a child's car seat and a convertible model is dependent on several factors, including safety features, compatibility of your vehicle, and the ease of use.
Car seats for infants are created with the delicate physiology and baby's physiology in mind. They typically have the base that is able to stay in the vehicle, and an infant carrier that snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from the car to stroller and back without causing any disturbance to them. They have a crotch and harness built in to ensure your child secure.
Some infant cars have side-impact protection, which distributes the crash force away from the infant's neck and head. They come with metal, plastic and foam that absorbs energy and shields the baby's head from direct contact with the vehicle frame or other objects in a collision. Some include a special pod that extends beyond the door to protect the child's head.
Another security feature that's becoming more common in car seats for newborns is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps flat across the chest of your baby. This prevents the straps from slipping or twisting around the shoulders, which could put your baby at higher risk of injury. If you choose a seat that has this feature, ensure that the chest clip is at armpit height. You should also be sure to avoid dressing your baby in bulky clothes which could hinder the harness's fit.
No matter what kind of car seat you pick ensure that it's mounted in your vehicle in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer. Check for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, which consists of a connector that clips into a car's lower anchor points and the tether strap, which is attached to the top of the seat. It then connects to an anchor inside your vehicle. If your vehicle does not have LATCH, a seatbelt can be used to secure the car seats.