Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A car seat for newborns is also known as a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It protects babies against injuries and deaths in vehicle accidents. The harness distributes the restraining force across the child's head and body, rather than the neck or spinal cord.
These seats can be either rear-facing or convertible and are available in a variety of height and weight limits. They are also a part of a travel set that snaps into the base of a stroller.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing infant car seats provide the best protection for infants in crashes. They are designed to support and cradle children, ensuring their neck, spine, and head. Additionally, they assist to disperse the impact of a crash from hitting your child's body and minimizing injuries. This is because your child's body is not hitting the car seat or the front passenger seat, but instead a soft, cushioned surface inside their car seat.
According to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Parents should keep their child rear-facing until they reach the weight limit of their car seat or height limit. The majority of children will outgrow their infant car seat around age 1 at which point they can move to a convertible car seat that can be oriented forward. However, many parents want to keep their child in a rear-facing seat until they turn 2.
There are two primary types: infant-only car seat and convertible car seats. Both are safe however, each has its own advantages. Infant-only seats, for instance are smaller and lighter. They also come with an easy-release base that can easily be detached from the vehicle and then attached to a stroller. Convertible car seats are bigger, heavier, and don't have a built-in base for strollers.
It is important to always use the back seat regardless of the type of seat. It is also recommended that you put tightly rolled washcloths or blankets between the crotch strap and your baby to ensure that there is no slack in the harness. Check that the lower anchors of your car seat are correctly installed, and that they are connected to the lower anchor points on the lower anchor bars.
Research has shown that babies who are facing the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in a car crash. Car seats that are rear-facing allow infants to experience less impact when they hit the front of the car, as opposed the the back which could result in serious injuries.
Forward-facing
Many parents have put a lot of thought into their baby car seat. It was a key item on the baby registry and was the method you used to get your little one home from the hospital. You might think about changing the car seat to face forward when your child grows older. However, it's important keep in mind that children aren't yet ready for this until they reach the height and weight limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat.
Until your baby is at least 20 lbs and one year old, they should be rear-facing. This is because kids under one year old don't have enough neck muscles to handle the whiplash that results from being forced forward in an accident. Moreover they are at a higher risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on collisions.
You can purchase convertible or all-in-one seat that allows your child to remain rear-facing until they reach the weight and height limits for the seat. These are usually bucket-style infant car seats that are attached to a base that can be installed in your vehicle. The base can then be removed and attached to strollers to form a travel system. They are typically lighter in weight and height restrictions than standard car seats.
You can also purchase an extra booster. These are usually equipped with a harness for young children, and then convert into a belt-positioning booster seat once your child is ready for it. This kind of car seat has the primary advantage that it can be used in your vehicle for all of your child's childhood which makes it much easier to transport the car seat from one location to another.
best car seats for newborns what car seat you select, always read the manual and follow the installation instructions. It's recommended to consult a certified car seat safety technician to make sure that your child's seat is set up and used properly. Car seat misuse is very frequent, and even the most well-meaning parents can injure their children if they aren't aware of what they're doing. The best way to avoid this is to follow the instructions for car seats and following the guidelines of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for a convertible infant car seat because they can grow with their child and enable them to travel safely through infancy and toddlerhood. These seats are cheaper than car seats for infants and have an extended lifespan. However, it's important to choose a model that is simple to install and is suitable for your vehicle. Be sure to keep your baby safe by buckling them correctly each time.
Snug straps stop the head from shifting into the dangerous chest-to-chin position that can cause strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant car seats have straps that are loose or not buckled. This is a serious security issue. Unbuckled straps can lead to an unbalanced neck, which is the cause of many accidents. The crotch buckle could cause danger if it is not tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines whether the crotch buckle is secure enough to stop the legs of a newborn baby from slouching in the seat, causing them to get injured or trapped.
Some convertible infant car seats include torso heights that are adjustable, which allows you to adjust the height limit based on 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 come with an infant insert to help raise your child to the appropriate height for the seat.
The best convertible newborn car seat should be a snug fit, comfortable padding and a slender base to allow you to put it in your car. It should also come with a tight, snug harness that passes the pinch test and a small, tightly rolled towel or blanket in case in the event 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 force of impact on your baby. It should also come with the travel set, which is a stroller and car seat that you can use to transfer your child from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must take into consideration when selecting the right car seat for their babies. Car seats are an essential purchase for families with new children and their use can reduce the likelihood that a child will suffer an fatal motor vehicle crash injury by 71 per cent. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat comes down to a few key factors that include safety features, compatibility with your vehicle and user-friendliness.
Car seats for infants are made with a newborn's fragile physiology in mind. The base of the seat is usually in the car, and the seat snaps into place. This makes it simple to move your baby from stroller to car, and back without causing any disturbance. They come with a crotch and harness built in to keep your child safe.
Some infant cars come with side-impact protection, which distributes the crash force away from a newborn's neck and head. Metal, plastic and foam absorb energy and protect the baby's face from direct contact with a vehicle's frame or any other object involved in a collision. Some even have a special pod on the door's side that extends out to protect the head of the infant.
Another safety feature that's becoming more common in newborn car seats is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps flat across your newborn's chest. This prevents the straps from getting caught or twisting around the shoulders, which can expose your baby to greater risk of injury. If you opt for a car seat that has this feature, ensure that the chest clip is placed at armpit height. You should also be sure to avoid dressing your baby in bulky clothes that could interfere with the fit of the harness.
No matter what type of car seat you pick ensure that it's mounted in your vehicle as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system consists of connectors that clip into the lower anchor points of your car and a tether that hooks onto an anchor on the vehicle. If your vehicle isn't equipped with LATCH, you may use the seat belt to secure the car seat.