Car Seat Safety
Before you leave the hospital, and hopefully well in advance of the delivery, you should carefully research car seat safety for your baby. After a stay in the hospital you’ll be tired and drained and the last thing you need to worry about is whether or not your baby is safe in the car seat. Of course most mothers will want to hold their baby on the ride home but sooner or later you’ll have to take the wheel yourself and trust in the car seat you’ve chosen to keep your baby protected.
Today there are hundreds of car seats and accessories to keep babies, toddlers and children well protected on a car ride. But these products come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes for big kids, little kids, newborns, preemies and special needs children so before you buy anything know about the vehicle you own and the baby that will be along for the ride.
Refrain from simply choosing the most expensive or trendy car seat. Just because it has a brand name or is all the rage at the daycare parking lot doesn’t mean it will protect your baby any better. A recent study turned up a startling figure: according to the National Highway Safety Patrol close to 80% of all infant car seats are not installed or used properly. Having a car seat that is too big or small for your child, not securely installed or not capable of holding the child’s weight can prove to be disastrous should you have to hit the brakes, make a sudden turn or accelerate to avoid an accident. It’s very easy for a small child to wiggle his way out of a car seat and even easier when the vehicle’s motions allow for a loosening of straps and seat belts. Talk to your doctor or pediatrician about the expected growth of your baby and take that information with you when choosing a car seat.
Many car seats today double as travel carriers so you may want to invest in a multi-purpose seat that can securely fit a car or van and act as a travel accessory. When choosing such seats keep in mind several important factors: five point harness, weight and height limits, anti-rebound features, stay-in-car bases, and harness adjustments.
Choose an infant car seat that has a five-point harness with straps that go over the baby’s shoulders and hips. Find a seat that can support the unique size of your baby. Not all seats are made the same and some feature extra construction features for larger kids and special harnesses for smaller children. Anti-rebound features help bounce a baby back should you have to stop quick without causing any excess trauma to his head or neck area. Some seats have multiple bases and bases that stay fixed in the car. Choose the base that is right for your needs should you be using the seat as a travel carrier as well.
Car seats are a precautionary protection accessory but nothing beats safe driving. Be mindful when you are driving of the road and other vehicles. You’ll want to look at your baby as often as possible but taking your eyes off the road even for a second can lead to a dangerous accident. If you trust in the car seat you have bought then you’ll have a much easier time concentrating on the road.