Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat
A car seat for newborns is also referred to a
baby car seat or infant safety seat. It protects babies from injury and death in vehicle accidents. They have harnesses that distribute the restraining forces over the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord and neck.
These seats are available in rear-facing and convertible versions, and come with an array of weight and height limits. They could also be part of an entire travel system that snaps into and out of a stroller base.
Rear-facing
Rear-facing infant car seats provide unmatched protection in crashes for infants. They are designed to hold and support children, ensuring their neck, spine, and head. They also help reduce injuries by stopping the impact of an accident from striking your child. This is because your child's body is not collision-prone with the car seat or the front seat, but rather the soft, cushioned surface inside their car seat.
Parents should keep their child rear-facing until they reach maximum height or weight limit of the car seat, as per the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The majority of children outgrow their infant car seat around the age of 1, at which point they are able to transition to convertible car seats that can be oriented forward. Many parents will leave their child in the rear-facing seat until they turn two.
There are two primary types: infant-only car seats and convertible car seats. Both are safe, but each offers different conveniences. For instance, infant-only chairs are lighter, smaller, and come with a quick release base that is able to be removed from the car and then reattached to the base of a stroller. Convertible car seats are heavier and larger. They also don't include a base for a stroller.
It is essential that you always use the back seat regardless of the type of seat. You can also place a blanket that is tightly rolled or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure the harness is secure. Make sure that the lower anchors of your car seat are securely installed and are connected to the lower anchor points on the lower anchor bars.
Research shows that babies who are facing the rear of the car are less likely to be injured in an accident. Baby car seats that face rear also experience a lesser impact when they crash into the front of the car, as opposed to the back of the car seat which could result in serious injuries.
Forward-facing
The majority of parents have given a lot of thought to their infant's car seat. It was a key item on the baby registry and how you got your baby home from the hospital. Now that your child is getting older, you may be thinking about changing the
car seat newborn seat forward-facing. It's important to keep in mind that your child isn't yet ready until they've reached the weight and height limits that are set by the car seat manufacturer.
Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at least 20 pounds and has reached the age of one year. Children younger than one year do not have the neck muscles necessary to withstand whiplash from being hit in a crash. They are also at greater risk of suffering from spinal injuries when involved in head-on collisions.
You can purchase a convertible car seat or an all-in-one one that will allow you to keep the child rear-facing up until the child reaches the weight and height limits of the seat. These seats are typically bucket-style infant car seats that are attached to a base for installation in your vehicle. The base can be detached and attached to strollers as a system for travel. They typically have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.
If you prefer, you can purchase a booster seat. These are typically fitted with a harness for younger kids and convert into a belt-positioning booster seat when your child is ready for it. This kind of car seat has the primary benefit of being used in your vehicle throughout the duration of your child's childhood, making it easier to move them from one vehicle into another.
No matter what car seat you select, always read the manual and follow the instructions for installation. Get a certified safety technician to make sure that your child's car seat is installed and used correctly. Incorrect use of a car seat is common, and even well-meaning parents could cause harm to their children if they aren't aware of what they're doing. The
best infant car seat way to prevent this is to read the instructions for car seats and following the recommendations of a CPST.
Convertible
Many parents choose convertible car seats for newborns since they can expand with your
lightweight baby car seat and allow them to travel safely from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. These seats are cheaper than infant ones and have a longer life span. However, it is important to choose a model that is simple to install and is suitable for your vehicle. Be sure to protect your baby by securing them properly every time.
Snug straps prevent the head from moving to a risky chin-to-chest stance that could result in strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant carseats have loose or unbuckled straps and pose a serious safety risk. Straps that aren't buckled can cause a neck that hangs loose that is the cause of many accidents. The crotch buckle could be a danger when it isn't tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines if the crotch buckle fits enough to prevent a newborn's legs from sliding down the seat, leading to them getting 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 torso's minimum height should be the same as the height of your infant's shoulders or one inch lower. Some models include an infant insert that can help raise your child to the proper height for the seat.
The ideal convertible car seat for newborns should be snug, have cushioning that is comfortable and a small base so that you can put it in your vehicle. It should also come with an incredibly tight, snug harness that passes the pinch-test and a small tight-rolled blanket or towel for an emergency. It should also come with a tether that attaches to the anchor points of your vehicle, which could help reduce injuries during an accident by reducing the impact force. In addition it should be equipped with the travel system, which includes an infant car seat that can be paired with a stroller, and comes with an handle that you can use to move the baby from the car to the stroller.
Safety features
When selecting the right car seats for their babies, parents have many aspects to consider. Car seats are an important purchase for new families because their proper use can reduce the likelihood that your child will suffer a fatal motor vehicle injury by 71. The decision between a baby car-seat and a convertible one is dependent on several factors, such as safety features, compatibility of your vehicle, and the ease of use.
Car seats for infants are designed with the fragile body of a newborn in mind. They typically come with the base that is able to stay in the car and an infant carrier that snaps into the position, making it simple to transfer your baby from the car to stroller and back again 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 equipped with side-impact protection that distributes the force of a crash away from the baby'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 in an accident. Some include a special pod that extends from the door to protect the child's head.
Another safety feature that is becoming more prevalent in car seats for newborns is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps flat across your newborn's chest. The straps aren't strained or bending around shoulders which can expose your child to the risk of injury. If you opt for a car seat with this feature, ensure the chest clip is positioned at the armpit level. Avoid dressing your baby with bulky outerwear as this could hinder the harness.
Make sure that the car seat is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions regardless of the model you choose. Look for the lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system, which consists of connectors that clip 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 on your vehicle. If your vehicle isn't equipped with LATCH, you may use the seat belt to secure your car seat.