Blog entry by Demetrius Denmark
Keep Your Child in an Infant Car Seat Rear Facing
Insuring that your child is in a car seat for infants rear facing is the safest option. Children should only be transferred to an infant car seat that faces forward once they have reached the weight and height limits of their current seat.
Remember that body paragraphs are arranged like hamburgers. The introduction and conclusion sentences are the top and bottom buns. The main points of the essay is the supporting body paragraphs.
Safety Benefits
Rear-facing infant car seats are the most secure option for newborns and young babies. This is because they are able to support and cradle their neck and head. "Since their spines aren't been ossified, it's crucial to keep the force of a crash off their necks and heads," says Purva Grover, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Emergency Departments. In a frontal crash, the baby's head is likely to strike the seat in front of them. This can cause a whiplash that is extremely painful or even fatal. In a rear-facing car 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 legs of the child can be secured in the car seat to keep them from being thrown against the back of the front seat or any other surface in the vehicle. "This stops them from crashing into their own body, which could cause internal injuries," she explains.
Many parents avoid ERF because they believe their child will be bored or uncomfortable. This is not the case for my son, Lukas. He prefers sitting rear-facing since the seat reclines and allows him to read or watch TV while he does so.
If you do have an older child who isn't keen on being in a rear-facing car seat because of leg length or any other reason, try to convince them that it's the most secure method of travel for them. Explain that your child can remain in the convertible or all-in-one car seat as long as the weight or height limits aren't exceeded.
Make sure you secure your child in a rear-facing car seat using the lower anchor system of the vehicle or a seat belt. Don't let them wear bulky clothing such as winter coats. They can expand in the event of a crash, making the harness straps to become loose. This puts your child at risk of injury. Make sure to use the Pinch Test when fitting your child's harness.
Convenience
Many parents prefer keeping their infant car seats facing rear as long as possible because they are easy to use and more mobile than convertible car seats. If you keep your child rear-facing, they might have to be placed in a bassinet or crib at nap or time to sleep. This may require waking up the baby who is sleeping which is not optimal. However, the safety advantages of rear facing far outweigh any discomfort.
Newborn babies and preemies are smaller than full-term infants, so the headrest of their car seats is lower. This reduces the force of an accident and ensures that the chest clip on the harness is at the shoulders, and not at the neck. This is crucial for premature infants whose bones are still weak and have not been ossified since birth or pregnancy.
The position that faces the rear allows you to see your baby much better than the forward-facing position. This lets you easily check their behavior and ensure that they are comfortable and happy. Many baby car seats have a built-in baby mirror that can be adjusted to view your child from virtually every angle.
When your child is no longer in their car seat as infants, or attains the weight or height limit set by the manufacturer of their seat You can then switch to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat that allows them to remain rear-facing until they are at least two years old. Some have rear-facing limits that are higher than rear-only seats, allowing them to be used for longer.
Convertible car seats or all-in one seats are renowned for being multi-functional. They can be used backward facing or forward facing and as a belt-positioning booster. They usually also have a large base in the back of your vehicle making them easier to remove and install. They are more expensive than single-use infant car seats but they last much longer than a standard infant seat and can save you money in the long run.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ride rear-facing up to the maximum height and weight limit that are set by the car seat manufacturer, or until they are at minimum two years old. Many children grow out of their rear-facing infant car seat before the age of two however, don't be enticed to switch them around earlier. It's better to keep it in the rear for a while.
Weight Limits
All baby car seats have weight and height limits you need to be aware of. Most have a maximum weight of 30 to 35 pounds, and an upper height limit of around 30 inches or so, depending on the model. When your child has reached the limits, it's time to move on to the next level of safety. You can choose a convertible car seat that allows you to switch between rear facing and forward facing, or an all-in-one seat that lets your child ride backwards until they reach the maximum height and weight that is recommended by the manufacturer.
Apart from a height and weight limit, there are also other factors that indicate your child is ready to move on to the next stage of car seats, such as their level of comfort when riding rear facing. You can identify these signs by observing your child's behavior, and then comparing them to other children of similar age in their carseats. You can also ask for help from certified child passenger safety technicians at an inspection station for car seats, which are often run by local government agencies or community-based organizations.
Keeping your infant car seat swivel rear facing for as long as is possible is the most secure option for them and it's easy to understand why parents are hesitant to move their children around until they're fully grown. But you can ward off this temptation by making sure your child's seat is properly installed and you don't rush to switch them to a forward-facing seat too quickly even if they're close to the limit of weight or height of their current car seat.
If you're unsure whether your child is ready for the next stage of car seat or you're concerned that you may not have installed their current car seat in a correct manner contact a certified child safety technician. These experts can be found through community groups, local government offices, and child safety programs. You can search for one near you, or contact your local public health or safety department. There are also car seat check events that are mobile that can visit your home or workplace to ensure that you have the correct equipment and are making use of it properly.
Installation
A Maxi-Cosi Pearl Pro2 i-Size Car Seat - Authentic Black seat needs to be properly installed to be efficient. The NHTSA has found that almost half of car seats are installed incorrectly. This includes rear-facing seats. The best method to make sure that your child's car seats are correctly installed is to go through the manual, and then have them assessed by a certified vehicle safety technician.
The first step in installing a rear facing infant car seat is to test the angle. Make sure the base of the car seat is in a safe position to support the weight of your child and height. You can check this on the indicator on the base of the base or in its user manual.
You should also make sure that the head of your baby car seat (www.pushchairsandprams.uk) is properly positioned in the seat. The forward-facing position can cause pressure on the spine and neck of babies with their heavy heads and soft necks. In a rear-facing collision the back of a car seat absorbs most of the crash force. This protects the baby's neck and the spinal cord.
When your child has reached the weight or height limit of the infant car seat it's time to change to a convertible seat or an all-in-one car seat. These seats can be used in a rear-facing orientation until the front-facing limit. Make sure you purchase a new infant car seat with a higher rear-facing limit if you switch to this type of seat since older models have lower limits.
Parents who frequently transport their infants by car will find it convenient to pick an infant car seat that can be detached and attached to the stroller. The only drawback is that it could be time-consuming and difficult to get the stroller and car seat in and out of your car every time, particularly with a newborn. However, if you are willing to spend the extra time each time to do it right, this could be a great option for a lot of families. Make sure to plan ahead, and choose a day when you will have plenty of time spare.