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Safety Concerns of Rear Facing and Front Facing Car Seats for
Newborn Baby, Infant and Toddlers
Rear Facing Car Seats for
Premature Babies and Newborn Infants
If you aren't sure how to install a car seat, don't fake it!
Some estimates say that up to 80% of car seats are not
installed properly, and that can cause disaster. If you don't
feel very confident that you can install your choice of car
seat exactly as it should be, find someone who can do the job
for you.
There are differences between car seats based on the age of
the children riding in them. Infant car seats are built so
the baby faces the back of the car, which has been
determined the safest seating option for small babies.
Infant car seats should sit at a 45 degree angle and
shouldn't move more than an inch in any direction at
installation. To get the angle right, you may need to place
a folded towel under the seat. The harness straps should
come to or just below the baby's shoulders, and you
shouldn't be able to get more than a finger under the straps
at the collarbone. The clip that fastens at the chest should
be even with the baby's armpits.
Infants should stay in rear-facing seats until they weigh at
least 20 pounds, can pull themselves up to stand, or reach
one year of age. Some experts say you can keep the baby in
the rear-facing seat even longer: it mainly depends on how
the seat continues to fit the child. Premature babies often
take longer to catch up in weight and height: your preemie
may stay in the rear-facing seat longer than usual.
Convertible car seats are the answer to the problem of the
growing child: convertibles can be used as rear-facing seats
until the child is older, and then convert to front-facing
seats. Stroller combo seats are car seats that are also made
to fit in the stroller so you never have to take the baby
from the seat. The seat comes with a base that is installed
in the car and stays there while Baby goes a' roaming in the
stroller. When it's time to get back in the car, just take
the seat with the baby in it, fasten it onto the base,
secure the harness, and away you go! And if you spend a lot
of time taking Baby from car to house to wherever, you may
want to look for a car seat that doubles as a carrier as
well as fitting into the stroller.
Front Facing Car Seats for Babies and Toddler Booster Chairs
Once children reach the proper weight and skill set (they
can pull themselves up and weigh more than 20 pounds), they
can be moved to a front-facing car seat. Forward-facing car
seats must have a tether strap, and that strap must also be
installed properly in order to keep the seat in its best
working order. Toddlers weighing between 20 and 40 pounds
should be placed in forward-facing seats. It's important to
pay attention to what your child weighs: car seats are only
rated for a particular number of pounds, and if your child
is over weight for that car seat, it cannot protect her as
it should. If your child is tall for her age, you will also
want to make sure that the car seat provides protection at
the top of the head. Make certain that your child's head is
cushioned by the car seat with enough space so that hitting
a big bump won't bump the child's head on the seat.
For children who are growing, booster seats a needed in the
car. A child under the age of 8, who weighs between 40 and
80 pounds and who is under 4 feet 9 inches tall must have a
booster seat when rising in the car. Once the child reaches
8 years of age, weighs more than 80 pounds or stands more
than 4 foot 9, a regular seatbelt can be used. Recaro is one
company that makes booster seats as well as car seats for
smaller kids.
Continue reading more baby information about
Infant Crib Necessities
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