Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A newborn car seat is also known as a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It is designed to protect infants against injury and death during car accidents. The harness distributes the restraining force to the body and head of the child, rather than the neck or spinal cord.
They can be rear-facing or convertible and come in a variety of height and weight limits. They can also be part of a set for travel that snaps into 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, protecting their neck, head and spine. They also aid in reducing injuries by preventing the force of an accident from hitting your child. This is because the child's body does not collide with the vehicle seat or the front passenger seat. Instead, it is a soft, cushioned area within 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. Most kids will outgrow their infant car seats around age 1, at which point they can transition to an convertible car seat that can face forward. Many parents will put their child in the rear-facing seat until their child turns two.
There are two primary types of rear-facing car seat: infant-only seats and convertible car seats. Both are 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 seats are bigger and heavier, but they do not have a built-in base for strollers.
Whatever seat you select it is essential to adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines and to always place the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. You can also place an enveloping blanket or washcloth between the crotch straps and your child to ensure the harness is tight. 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.
There is a lot of debate over how long a child should be rear-facing, research has shown that infants as young as 12 months old are less likely to be injured in car accidents when they're facing the back of the car. Car seats with rear-facing seats allow babies to experience less impact when they hit the car's front instead of the rear, which can lead to serious injuries.
Forward-facing
The majority of parents have spent a lot of time into their newborn car seat. It was a key item on the baby registry, and the way you brought your little one home from the hospital. You may think about changing the car seat to face forward as your child grows older. However, it's important remember that children aren't 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 pounds and a year old, they should remain rear-facing. This is because babies younger than one year don't have enough neck muscles to handle the whiplash that results from being caught in a crash and thrown forward. Moreover they are at greater risk of suffering spinal injuries in head-on accidents.
You can buy convertible or all-in-one seat that allows you to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the weight and height limits 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 detached and attached to strollers to form a travel system. They tend to have lower weight and height restrictions than standard car seats.
If you prefer, you can purchase a booster seat. These are usually equipped with a harness for young children and can be converted into a belt-positioning booster seat once your child is ready for it. This type of car seat has the main benefit of being used in your car for the duration of your child's life making it simpler to transport the child from one vehicle to another.
No matter which car seat you select be sure to read the instructions and follow the guidelines. It's recommended to speak with a certified car safety technician to make sure that the child's car seat is installed and used in a safe manner. Car seat misuse is very common, and 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 car seat instructions and following the recommendations of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents opt for convertible infant car seat because they grow with their child and allow them to safely travel through toddlerhood and into infancy. These seats are less expensive than infant seats and have an extended life. However, it's important to select a seat that is simple to install and will fit in your vehicle. Also, make sure to keep your baby safe by securing them properly every time.
Snug straps prevent the head from shifting to a risky chin-to-chest stance which could lead to asphyxiation or strangulation. Many infant car seats come with straps that are loose or not buckled. This is a serious safety issue. Straps that are not buckled can result in a dangling neck which is the cause of many accidents. If the crotch strap is not sufficiently tight enough to pass a pinch test, it could be a risk. This test will determine if the crotch buckle fits enough to prevent a baby's legs from sliding down the seat and result in them being injured or trapped.
Some convertible newborn car seat have adjustable torso-height, which allows you to adjust the height limit to suit your child's growth. The minimum torso height should be the same as the height of the shoulders of your infant or an inch lower. Some models include an infant insert to help raise your child to the appropriate height for the seat.
The most suitable convertible infant car seat should have a comfortable fit, comfortable padding and a small 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 short tight-rolled blanket or towel to use in an emergency. It should also include an tether strap that is attached to the anchor points of your vehicle and can reduce crash injuries by cutting down the impact force on your baby. In addition it should include the travel system, which includes a car seat that is paired with a stroller and an handle that you can use to move the infant from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
Parents must consider when they're choosing the appropriate car seat for their infants. However, car seats are a crucial purchase for families with young children because using them reduces the risk of fatal child collisions with motor vehicles by 71 percent. The decision between a baby car seat and a convertible car seat is based on some key factors such as safety features that are compatible with your car, and ease of use.
Car seats for infants are designed to keep the delicate physiology of a newborn in mind. The base of the seat is typically in the car and the infant carrier snaps into place. This makes it simple to transfer your baby from stroller to car and back without causing any disturbance. They also come with built-in harnesses and a crotch strap to keep your baby secure.
Some infant cars come with side impact protection, which disperses the force of a crash away from the baby's head and neck. 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 an accident. Some come with a special pod that extends from the door to protect the head of the child.
best car seat for newborn that is becoming more common in car seats for newborns is a chest clip that holds the harness straps flat across your newborn's chest. This prevents the straps pinching or twisting around the shoulders which can put your child at risk of injury. If you opt for a seat that has this feature, make sure that the chest clip is at armpit height. Avoid dressing your baby with heavy outerwear since it could interfere with the harness.
Make sure that the car seat is installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions regardless of the model you select. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. The system is comprised of a connector which clips into the lower anchor points of your car, and the tether which is attached to an anchor on the vehicle. If your car does not have LATCH, a belt can be used to secure the car seats.