Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat

A newborn car seat is also referred to as an infant safety seat, or a baby car seat, protects babies from injury and death in vehicle accidents. They are fitted with a harness that distributes the restraint forces across the head and body of the child rather than the spinal cord or neck.

They can be front-facing or convertible, and are available in a variety of sizes and weight limits. They can also be part of a set for travel that snaps into a stroller base.

Rear-facing

Rear-facing car seats for newborns provide unmatched protection in crashes for infants. They are designed to support and cradle children, protecting their neck, spine, and head. They also help to disperse the force of a crash to prevent your child's body from being hit, reducing injuries. This is because the child's body doesn't hit the seat of the vehicle or the front passenger seat. Instead, it is an upholstered, soft surface in their car seat.

According to the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, parents should keep their child rear facing until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. Around age 1, most children will outgrow the infant car seat and move on to a convertible car seat that can face forward. Many parents will keep their child in the rear-facing seat until their child turns two.

There are two main types of rear-facing car seat that are convertible and infant-only car seats. Both are equally safe, but each offers different advantages. For example, infant-only seats are lighter, smaller, and come with a quick release base that is able to be removed from the car and reattached to the base of a stroller. Convertible car seats are heavier and more spacious. They also don't include a stroller base.

It is important that you always use the back seat regardless of the type of seat. You can also put a tightly rolled blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child to ensure that the harness is tight. In addition, make sure that the lower anchors are connected to the lower attachment points of the lower anchor bars of your vehicle and that the car seat is properly installed and buckled.

While there is much debate about the length of time a baby can be rear-facing, research has shown that infants up to 12 months old are less likely to be injured in car accidents when they are facing the back of the car. Car seats with rear-facing seats allow babies to feel less stress when they strike the car's front as opposed the the back which could result in serious injuries.

Forward-facing

Many parents have invested a lot of thought into their newborn car seat. It was one of the most important items on the baby registry, and was the method you used to get your child home from the hospital. You may think about changing the car seat to face forward as your Shop Maxi-Cosi Titan Pro i-Size Child Car Seat! grows older. It is important to keep in mind that your child isn't yet ready until they reach the weight and height limits established by the car seat manufacturer.

As long as your baby weighs at least 20 lbs and one year old, they should be rear-facing. Children younger than one year don't have the neck muscles needed to withstand whiplash when thrown in an accident. They also have greater risk of suffering from injury to the spine when involved in head-on collisions.

You can purchase convertible or all-in-one seat that allows you to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the height and weight limit for the seat. These are usually bucket-style infant car seats that connect to a base for installation in your vehicle. The base can be removed and attached to strollers as a travel system. They tend to have lower weight and height restrictions than a standard car seat.

You can also purchase an extra booster. These seats come with a harness and can be transformed into a Spiderman Nania Highback Booster for Ages 4-12 that allows your child to wear a seat belt once they are ready. This kind of car seat has the principal benefit of being used in your car for the duration of your child's childhood, making it easier to move them from one vehicle into another.

No matter what car seat you choose, always read the manual and follow the installation instructions. It is also a good idea to consult a certified seat safety technician to make sure that the child's car seat is installed and is used correctly. The misuse of car seats is frequent, and even the most well-meaning parents could cause harm to their children if they don't understand what they're doing. It is best to read the instructions on the car seat and follow the guidelines of a CPST.

Convertible

Many parents opt for a convertible newborn car seat since they can grow with your baby, allowing them to safely travel from the time of infancy until toddlerhood. These seats are cheaper than infant car seats and offer a long lifespan. It is important to choose a model that fits your vehicle and is simple to install. Be sure to keep your baby safe by buckling them up correctly each time.

Snug straps keep the head from shifting into a dangerous chin-to chest position that could lead to strangulation or asphyxiation. Many infant car seats come with unbuckled or loose straps. This is a serious security issue. Straps that aren't buckled could cause necks to hang and cause of many accidents. The crotch buckle may cause danger when it isn't tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test will determine if the crotch buckle fits enough to prevent a newborn's legs from slouching down in the seat and result in them being cut or trapped.

Some convertible infant car seats include torso heights that are adjustable, which allows you to alter the height limit to suit your child's growth. The minimum torso should be the same as the height of the shoulders of your infant or one inch lower. Some models come with an infant insert that will aid in raising your child up to the proper height.

The ideal convertible infant car seat should have a comfortable fit, comfortable padding and a narrow base that allows you to install it easily in your car. It should also come with a snug, tight harness that passes the pinch test as well as a small tight-rolled blanket or towel for emergencies. It should also include a tether strap that attaches to the anchor points on your vehicle that can help reduce the risk of collision injuries by decreasing the force of impact on your baby. In addition it should include the travel system, which consists of a car seat that is paired with a stroller and an handle that you can use to move the infant from the car to the stroller.

Safety features

Parents have a lot to take into consideration when selecting the best car seat for their babies. However, car seats are an essential purchase for families with young children because using them reduces the chance of fatal child motor vehicle collision injuries by 71 . The decision between an infant car seat and a convertible seat comes down to a few key factors such as safety features, compatibility with your vehicle and the ease of use.

Infant car seats are made with the delicate physiology and body of a newborn in mind. They typically have the base that is able to stay in the vehicle and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from car to stroller and back without causing any disturbance to them. They also come with built-in harnesses and a crotch strap that keep your baby secure.

Some infant cars come with side impact protection, which disperses the force of a crash away from the baby's neck and head. Plastic, metal and foam absorb energy and shield the baby's face from direct contact with a vehicle frame or any other object involved in an accident. Some include a specially designed pod on the door side that extends to protect the head of the infant.

A chest clip is a different safety feature that is becoming more common on newborn car seats. It keeps the harness straps flat against your baby's chest. This stops the straps from getting caught or bending at the shoulders, which could place your baby at a greater risk of injury. If you choose a seat that has this feature, ensure that the chest clip is at armpit height. Also, you should be sure to avoid dressing your baby in bulky outerwear that could interfere with the fit of the harness.

Make sure that the car seat is set up according to the manufacturer’s instructions regardless of the model you select. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. The system is comprised of connectors that clip into the lower anchor points of your vehicle and the tether which is attached to an anchor on the vehicle. If your car doesn't have LATCH, you can use a seat belt to secure your car seat.