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Car Safety Seats – A Guide for Families | |||||
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Each year hundreds of young children are killed in car crashes and thousands more are injured seriously enough to go to the emergency room. Using car safety seats and seat belts correctly is the best way to prevent this from happening to your child. No one seat is the "best" or "safest." The "best" seat is the one that fits your child's size, is correctly installed, and is used properly every time you drive. Important safety rules  Always use a car safety seat, starting with your baby's first ride home from the hospital. Never place a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an airbag. The safest place for all children to ride is in the back seat. Set a good example-always wear your seat belt. Help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up. Remember that each car safety seat is different. Read and keep the instructions that came with your seat. Read the owner's manual that came with your car on how to correctly install car safety seats.
Rear-facing seats All infants should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. That means that if your baby reaches  20 pounds before her first birthday, she should remain rear-facing until she turns 1 year old. |
There are 2 types of rear-facing seats: infant-only seats and convertible seats. Infant-only seats-rear facing Are small and portable (sometimes come as part of a stroller system). They have a 3-point or 5-point harness, and can only be used for infants up to 20 to 22 pounds, depending on the model. Many come with a detachable base, which can be left in the car. The seat clicks in and out of the base, which means you don't have to install it each time you use it. Most have carrying handles. Convertible seats-rear facing Are bigger than infant-only seats, and can also be used forward-facing for older and larger children, therefore these seats can be used longer. Many have higher rear-facing weight limits than infant only seats. These are ideal for bigger babies. They have the following types of harnesses: 5-point harness - 5 straps: 2 at the shoulders, 2 at the hips, 1 at the crotch T-shield - A padded t-shaped or triangle-shaped shield attached to the shoulder straps Overhead shield - A padded tray-like shield that swings down around the child.  Forward-facing seats Once your child is at least 1 year of age and is at least 20 pounds, he can ride forward-facing. However, it is best for him to ride rear-facing until he reaches the highest weight and height limits allowed by the car safety seat. |
There are many types of seats that can be used forward-facing, including convertible seats, forward-facing only seats, and combination forward-facing/booster seats. Shopping Carts Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but your baby could tip over or fall out of the cart. Thousands of children are hurt every year from falling from shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby's car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller, backpack, or front pack while shopping with your baby. Booster seats  Your child should stay in a car safety seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat. You can tell when your child is ready for a booster seat when one of the following is true: She/he reaches the top weight or height allowed for the seat. Her/his shoulders are above the harness slots. Her/his ears have reached the top of the seat.Booster seats are designed to raise your child so that the lap/shoulder belt fits properly. This means the lap belt lies low across your child's thighs and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of your child's chest and shoulder. Correct belt fit helps protect the stomach, spine, and head from injury. Both high-backed and backless models are available.
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Copyright 2006, Mecosta County Medical Center