Buying a Car Seat

The law throughout the United States mandates that babies and children must ride in child safety seats until they are old enough to wear seat belts.

In a crash at 30 miles per hour, a 10-pound baby could be ripped from an adult's arms with a force of almost 200 pounds and hurled into the dash or windshield.

WARNING
Never place a rear-facing child seat in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side airbag. The airbag could strike the back of the safety seat causing serious or fatal injuries to your infant.

Choosing Your Baby's Car Seat
Preparing for your baby's arrival includes purchasing a car seat. it is a law in every state that infants and children must ride buckled up in car seats. You will be required to have a car seat to take your baby home from the hospital. The "best" car seat for your baby is one that fits your baby's size and weight, fits in your car and that you will use correctly on every ride.

For full term infants, an infant car seat (for use up to 20 pounds) or a convertible seat (for use up to 40 pounds) will fit well. For small or preterm infants, an infant seat is preferred. A car seat evaluation will be done by the nursing staff if your infant is preterm or a smaller infant. This will be done before you and your baby are discharged.

When first using a car seat, read the instructions carefully to understand how to place your baby in the seat as well as placement of the car seat in your car. The rear seat is the safest place for a child of any age to ride. The Mother-Baby nurses will be able to answer your questions about your baby’s car seat if you need help.

If you need assistance with purchasing a car seat, talk with your nurse or social worker.

Many counties, along with the Safe Kids Coalition, offer free monthly car seat checks so you can learn tips about car seat safety.

Never Leave Children Alone in a Vehincle, Not Even For a Minute.

Infant Car Seats can be used from birth to at least 20 pounds and at least 1 year of age.  The advantage of using infant car seats is that they are small and portable and fit newborns best.  The disadvantage is that they must be replaced by a convertible seat when a baby outgrows the seat, usually within the first year of life.  When using an infant seat, make sure that it is made for use in a vehicle.  Never use an infant carrier in place of a car seat.  Make sure the handle is in the down position when in the car.

Remember, infant seats are always used rear-facing.

Convertible Car Seats can be used from birth to about 40 pounds.  These are seats that are used rear-facing for infants and forward-facing for toddlers.  Infants should ride rear-facing until at least 20 pounds and 1 year of age.  The advantage of convertible seats is that they can be used longer.  The disadvantages are that they are bulkier than infant seats, are less portable, and may not fit newborn infants well.

Convertible seats have three types of harnesses:

5 point harness - five straps: two at the shoulders, two at the hips, one at the crotch.

T-Shield - a padded T-shaped or triangular shield attached to shoulder straps that buckles into the seat at the crotch.

Overhead or Tray-Shield - a padded, tray-like shield that swings down around the child.

For small newborns, shields are often too high and too far from the body to fit correctly.  A 5 point harness fits small newborns best because it can be adjusted to fit snugly.

For up-to-date car seat information, call the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393 or log on the www.nhtsa.gov.

Peer Review Status: Internally
Peer Review Date: 2004