Keep Your Child in an Infant Car Seat Rear Facing
The most secure method to keep your child in a rear-facing infant car seat is to keep them there. Children should only be transferred to the car seat facing forward when they reach the weight and height limits of their current seat.
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Safety Benefits
The use of a car seat for infants rear facing is the most secure option for infants and newborns because it supports and cradles their head and neck. Purva Grover MD, director of Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Emergency Departments, says that because their spines aren't yet formed, it is vital to keep the force from a crash away from their necks and heads. In a frontal collision, the baby's head will hit the seat in front of them. This can cause a whiplash that is extremely painful or even fatal. In a rear-facing seat the impact is absorbed by the seat and then dissipated to the rear of the vehicle. Adele says, "It feels like a hug." The child's legs can also be tucked in the car seat to protect them from being thrown into the back of front seat or any other surface in the vehicle. "This keeps them from colliding with their own bodies, which can cause internal injuries," she explains.
Many parents are opposed to ERF because they fear their child may become bored or uneasy. It's not the case with my son, Lukas. He prefers to sit rear-facing since the seat reclines and allows him to read a book, or watch TV while doing it.
If you have a child who is reluctant to be rear-facing because of their leg length or for other reasons, convince them that this is the safest option. Explain that they can remain in their convertible or all-in-one car seats provided they don't exceed the height and weight limits set by the seat manufacturer.
Be certain to strap your child in a rear-facing car seat with the vehicle's lower anchor system or seat belt. Don't let them wear bulky clothes such as winter coats. They could compress when a collision occurs, which can cause the harness straps loosen. This puts your child at risk of injury. Always perform the Pinch Test to ensure a tight fit.
Convenience
Many parents prefer to keep infant car seats rear-facing as long as they can, because they are easier to use and more mobile than convertible seats. If you decide to keep your child rear-facing, he or she may need to be put in a crib or a bassinet during nap time or time to sleep. This may require waking up the sleeping baby which is not ideal. The safety benefits of rear-facing outweigh this inconvenience, but.
The headrest is lower for preemies and newborns than for full-term babies. This reduces the force of an impact and also ensures that the harness' chest clip is at or below their shoulders rather than at their necks. This is especially crucial for premature babies who have weaker bones and aren't ossified due to pregnancy or birth.
The rear-facing position also lets you see your baby better than the forward-facing position. This allows you to easily check their behavior and make sure they are happy and comfortable. Most infant car seats have a built-in mirror that can be adjusted so you can observe your child from any angle.
Once your baby outgrows their car seat for infants, or attains the weight or height limit suggested by their seat manufacturer, you can switch to a convertible or all-in-one car seat that will allow them to remain rear facing until they reach two years old. Some models even have higher rear-facing limits than rear-only cars, meaning they can be used for longer.
Convertible car seats or all-in-ones are well-known for their versatility. They can be used forward-facing, rear-facing or as belt positioning boosters. They are also easy to set up and take down because they are built with a large base at the back of your car. These seats are more expensive than infant car seats that are used once, but they will last longer and will save you money over time.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children remain rear-facing until they reach maximum weight and height limits established by their car seat manufacturer or at least 2 years old. older. Many children outgrow their rear-facing infant car seat before the age of two However, don't be enticed to turn them around earlier -- it's safer to keep it in the rear for a while.
Push Chairs And Prams must be aware that all infant car seats come with weight and height restrictions. Most have a maximum weight of 30 to 35 pounds and a height limit of about 30 inches or so, depending on the model. When your child reaches these limits, it's time to move on to the next stage of safety. This could be a convertible car seat that can switch between forward and rear facing, or an all-in one car seat that lets your kiddo ride backwards until they reach the maximum height and weight that is recommended by the manufacturer.
There are other aspects apart from the weight and height limit, that can indicate whether your child is ready to move up a stage in the car seat. One of them is their comfort level when riding rear-facing. You can find these signs in your child's behaviour and compare it to other children of the same age in their car seats. You can also ask for help from certified child safety experts at an inspection station for car seats, which are often run by local government agencies or community organizations.
Keep your infant rear-facing for as long as is possible is the most secure option for them and it's easy to understand why a lot of parents are reluctant to turn their children back until they're mature. You can ward off this temptation if you make sure your child's car seat is installed correctly and doesn't switch them to a front-facing car seat before they're ready, even the weight or height is within the limits of their current seat.
If you're uncertain whether your child is ready to move on to the next stage of car seat or you're worried that you may not be installing their current car seat in a correct manner, reach out to a certified child passenger safety technician. They are available through community organizations such as hospitals local government offices, and child passenger safety programs. You can search online for a specialist near you or call your local public health department or safety agency. There are also car seat check events that are mobile that will visit your workplace or at home to ensure that you have the correct equipment and are using it correctly.
Installation
The correct installation of a car seat is crucial to its effectiveness. Unfortunately the NHTSA estimates that more than half of all car seats are installed incorrectly (and this includes rear-facing). The best way to ensure that your child's car seat is installed correctly is to read the instruction manual and have it professionally verified by a certified vehicle safety technician.
Checking the angle is the first step towards installing an infant car seat that faces rearwards. You can verify the angle of the base on the side or in the manual to ensure it is safe for your child's weight.
It is also important to ensure that your baby's head is correctly positioned in the seat. Babies have heavy heads and soft necks, and a forward-facing posture could cause pressure on their necks and spine in a crash. In a rear-facing collision the back of the car seat absorbs the majority of the crash force, which shields the baby's delicate neck and spinal cord.
Once your child has reached the limit of weight or height of the infant car seat it's time to change to a convertible seat or an all-in-one car seat. These can be used in a rear-facing orientation until the front-facing limit. If you decide to move to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat, make sure that the new model has a higher rearward-facing limit. Older models have lower limits.
Parents who frequently transport their children in cars will find it convenient to select an infant car seat that can be detached and connected to a stroller. The only drawback is that it can be tricky and time consuming to move the stroller and car seat in and out of your car each time, especially with infants. This can be a good option for a lot of families when they are willing to take the time to make it happen every time. Make a plan and pick a day that you have plenty of spare time.