Infant Car Seat - What You Need to Know

Most infant car seats can be removed from their base and snap into a stroller frame for easy transport. This feature makes them popular with parents who intend to make frequent trips out of town.

Dress your baby in clothing that the harness straps can comfortably fit over their hips and shoulders, regardless of which car seat you select. The bulky clothing or blankets could hinder a secure harness fit.

Rear-Facing

Infant car seats (also known as convertible car seats with rear-facing positions) are designed to support newborns and children as high as the weight and height limit set by the manufacturer. These car seats typically include an infant insert to ensure that the baby's head is comfortable in the seat's shell.

The AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend that babies remain rear-facing until they reach the weight or height limits of their car seat. Some convertible or all-in-one car seats allow your baby to sit rear facing longer, up to age 4 or 5 (depending on the model).

The majority of manufacturers have their car seats designed with a reclining angle that can be adjusted to keep the baby's head from sliding backwards when the car is stopped. You can read the manual that comes with your car seat to find out how to adjust the angle or view a YouTube video of an influencer of your car seat. It is also important to avoid wearing your child in bulky clothing, like blankets or coats because they can hinder the snug fit of the harness and block airflow around your infant's chest and neck.

Many parents are hesitant about switching their child from a rear-facing position to forward-facing. They worry that the force of the crash may cause the baby's legs to be ejected from their feet, or their neck or head could be hurled forward violently in a side-impact. However, it's important to keep in mind that the rear-facing position provides more protection than the forward-facing position.

A video by a car seat influencer shows a child sitting in a forward-facing car seat being violently tossed about in the crash simulation. The head injury that follows is terrifying. The video of the same accident from the rear-facing seat is not as bad because the child's head is being held by the shell.

If your state law requires you to move your child's face forward do not follow it! This does not line up with best practices. That is why the AAP and NHTSA are now in agreement that children should remain rear-facing until they hit their maximum height or weight for the car seat, whichever is first.

Forward-Facing

Infant car seats are made to protect infants and newborns with harnesses that keep them in the car seat. Parents can adjust the headrest, recline angle, and stroller attachments depending on the car seat. The majority of infant car seats have the capacity to hold a maximum weight and height, and most children will outgrow them before they're ready to transitioge.

Convertible

Many new parents are confused when it comes to choosing between a car seat for infants and a convertible one. Both have their benefits however, which is the right choice for your family? A car seat for infants is great for newborns however if you are looking for something that will last for several years then a convertible may be the better choice.

As your child grows in age, convertible car seats for infants can be repositioned from front-facing to rear-facing. Based on the model, they can accommodate children from infanthood to late elementary school. Some have heavier weight and height limits in the rear position than infant car seats, allowing them to be used for longer.

Check if the convertible infant car seat comes with removable infant inserts that will ensure a snug fit for your child. These firm pads lift the infant car seats on sale's body so that they can fit into the smallest slots for straps and push them forward slightly to stop their heads from colliding with the straps on their harness.

Some infant car seats have a handle that makes it easier to transfer between vehicles. Others can be clicked into strollers, creating a travel system. This feature makes it easy to go from your car to your stroller without waking your baby, for trips to the store mall, the doctor's office, or visits.

Your child will eventually outgrow their portable infant car seat car seat. This could happen when they reach their weight limit or height. Most experts agree it's time to upgrade to a convertible car seat once your child's head is within one inch of the top edge of the seat. Check the instruction manual to make sure your child is prepared.

While convertible car seats can appear to be more expensive in the beginning than infant car seats, they may be cheaper in the long run since you'll be in a position to use them for several years. Some models also have lower anchors, which allow for easier installation. This can reduce the chance of injury in a crash.

Safety Ratings

When it comes to buying an infant car seat, safety is foremost in your mind. All infant car seats are required to meet federal safety standards. However some seats go above and beyond the minimum requirements to provide parents with extra peace of mind.

Premium features, like adjustable harnesses that do not rethread and anti-rebound bars, can aid in ensuring that your child is secured correctly and securely. Load legs, which brace the seat's base and reduce the force during a crash are also available.

Checking the crash test ratings and reviews of a car seat for infants will aid in determining its safety before you purchase. However it's important to keep in mind that the most crucial factor in determining how safe an infant car seat is the way it is used. Based on our conversations with NHTSA engineers, the majority of accidents that involve infant car seats are caused by improper use -- or in the case of an inadequate installation or inadequate restraint of a childand not the actual performance of the seat in a crash.

To ensure that you're using a car seat for your infant properly, search for one that comes with an easy-to-read instructions manual and lots of indicators to show it's safe and level, such as bubbles on the base that inform you EXACTLY which position to put the seat. When installing the seat tighten the straps around the baby's chest and abdomen. A good infant car seats indication of this is the ratcheting sound it makes when you tighten.

Finally, when you're out and about with your infant in a car seat, do not leave the car seat unattended, even if you're just going to the store or making a quick visit to the park. It's not just dangerous in a car crash and leaving your infant car seat or baby carrier on a rough surface could cause injuries and falls. Car seats that are prone to tipping over or roll could also cause injuries to infants or, even more dangerously they could even suffocate them.

While the choice between an infant car seat and convertible car seats or an all-in-one car seat might seem like it comes down to cost at this point be aware that you will need a booster seat at some point. To save money in the long run, choose an all-in-one or convertible car seat that offers you more options and last longer than a car seat for infants.