15 Unexpected Facts About Infant Car Seat In Front Seat That You've Never Heard Of

Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat? When children are outgrowing their infant car seats, they can switch to convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats are available in forward-facing and rear-facing versions however, they must meet certain weight and age requirements. It is not advised to place car seats in front of airbags the car seat, because the impact of the airbag could cause fatal injuries to children and babies. 1. The 1.5 Inch Rule Many parents ask whether the infant car seat can be placed in front of the driver's seat, and the answer is always no. The reason is quite simple: If a crash occurs the child's head may be struck by an airbag when in the front seat. The result is that the airbag can cause injury or even death to the child. This is the reason why infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing only. The backrest of the seat is positioned against the back of the seat in the event of a crash, providing the most effective protection for your infant. In addition, the rear-facing car seat protects the neck and head of your child better than a forward-facing car seat, which provides only minimal head and neck protection. The headrest prevents your child from slipping out of the shoulder straps during a crash. The harness holds the chest clip above the shoulders. It's important to note that there are ZERO documented cases of kids in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs after hitting the rear of the front seat. This happens when children's feet fly up and trap them against the seat's back and put a great deal of pressure on the bones of the legs. This is not something you should put your child at risk of. There are a variety of programs in the United States that offer infant car seats at a discount or for free to parents who qualify. This is a great chance to ensure that your child is in a safe car seat before they get out of it. It is a great option for children to use for many years. The base of many modern infant car seats is designed to be easily removed and installed, making them more convenient to use. This feature is especially helpful for traveling with young children as it allows you to keep the car seat in place and ready to go even if you change vehicles. Before you buckle your child in, find out if the car seat back will touch the car seat's back by finding the middle of the seat and measuring it with a tape measure. A lot of things, like the blade of a house key or the length of wireless earbuds are around 1.5 inches long and can be used to test for this space. Review the instructions for your car seat and the owner's manual for your vehicle to see whether the angle can be adjusted to remove the space. 2. Harness Position Newborns and preemies often are prone to fall into a risky chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other toys for children. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps of the harness that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are positioned slightly below the shoulders of the child, and then they will be able to rise over their shoulders. Tighten them to avoid this. best car seats for newborns Pushchairs And Prams must be tight enough to hold the excess fabric to each other. This is known as the Pinch Test. Overly bulky outer layers such as winter coats can hinder this, so make sure to take them off prior to placing your child in their seat. The chest clip is made to protect against a fall, but it could compress a neck of the child if it's too low or if they are loose. The chest clip shouldn't be placed in the neck opening. Instead, it should be at the armpit level. In the event of a crash, children who are rear-facing may slide up the seat. The harness straps must be capable of supporting the child's neck and head. It is important to place the straps over the shoulders. If the straps are too low, they could slide through the opening in the neck of the baby or even over their ears. If they're too loose, they can be able to reach the face of the child. Ensure the shoulder straps are at or above the shoulders of your child and they fit snugly. Newborns may need a separate infant insert (often included with the car seat) to raise them so their shoulders reach the slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors that could aid you in this. You can also refer to the instructions that come in the seat. 3. Rear-Facing Only While some parents might be tempted to flip their infant car seat around to face forward due to their child's legs being too short in the rear-facing position, there is really no reason to do it. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing because the baby's spine and neck are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children may suffer serious injuries because their bodies are thrown against the vehicle. Additionally, a lot of infant car seats have a built-in angle indicator so you can be sure the seat is correctly installed. You also need to ensure that your child's head rests flat against the seat, and that the harness straps are positioned over their shoulders, not under their arms or twisted. You should be able to pinch a little bit of material at their shoulders to ensure whether the harness is secure enough. It is also important to check the strap around the crotch to make sure it is in line with the armpits, rather than at the waist. It is also an excellent idea to go through the manual of your infant car seat to ensure you understand the correct method to use it with your child. The majority of manufacturers recommend that children use rear-facing seats in their car seats until they reach at least 1 year old or until they reach the weight and height limits of their specific car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing until they reach the age of two years old. If you own a vehicle with just one back seat, install the infant car seat in the middle of the vehicle so you can easily view your child's face through the rearview mirror without needing to lean over. It is also beneficial to put the car seat on the driver's side, so you don't have to walk the way around your car each time you want to get your child in or out of their car seat. If your vehicle has two back seats the infant car seat can be set on either side as long as it's not in the airbag's direction on the passenger's side. If you have to decide between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, you can put it on the driver's side. 4. Booster Seats Children who have outgrown their infant car seat due to their weight and height will require an additional booster until the car's seat belt is fitted properly. This is only possible when the child is at least 4'9” tall and has reached the top of the headrest. Booster seats assist in positioning the shoulder belt and lap properly. They can also limit the distance that a child's head moves during a crash, which decreases the risk of injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the most fatal killer of children aged 4-8, and head motion is the main cause. If a booster is used improperly the lap part of the belt may slide up over a child's abdomen and cause severe injuries in an accident. This can be avoided by using a belt guide on the booster to stop the lap belt from sliding onto a child's stomach or getting over armrests. Many boosters come with small handles or armrests, or guide slots to help position the lapbelt low and flat on a child's top legs. This ensures that the lap belt starts and stays on a child's strong hip bones instead of being pushed up into their stomachs during an accident. Some booster seats are equipped with a seat belt locking mechanism to keep the belt locked in place while children are sitting in it, and this can help to prevent the lap belt from moving over a child's abdomen. This can also help to keep the belt from being pulled across the face of a child, which could result in hypoxia and airway obstruction as well as neck strain.