This Is The History Of Infant Car Seat In Front Seat In 10 Milestones
Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
As children get older, they can move out of their infant car seats they can transition into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seats can be used rear or forward-facing but they need to meet certain weight and age requirements.
It is not recommended to put car seats in front of airbags on the vehicle seat, since the force of the airbag could be fatal to babies and children.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
The answer to this question is no. The reason is very simple: If a crash happens and the child is involved, they could get their head hit by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a child.
This is why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. The seat's back rests against the rear of the car seat in a collision, ensuring the best protection for your infant.
A rear-facing car seat safeguards your child's neck and head more effectively than a front-facing one that only offers minimal protection. The headrest also stops the child from slipping off the shoulder straps in an accident, and the harness keeps the chest clip high above the shoulders of your child.
It's important to keep it in mind that there have been ZERO documented instances of children sitting in forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they hit the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when a kid's feet fly upwards and trap them against the back of the seat and put a great deal of pressure into the leg bones. There's no reason to expose your child to the risk of this.
There are numerous programs throughout the country that allow parents who meet the criteria to receive free or discounted infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe car seat before they outgrow of it. It can be used for many years.
The base of the majority of modern infant car seats is designed to be easily removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is especially useful for families with young children since you can keep the car seat installed and ready to use even when changing vehicles.
Before you put your child in the car seat, find out if the car seat back will touch the vehicle seat's back by measuring the center of the seat and measuring it using a tape measure. Many things, such as the blade of a key for the house or the length of earbuds with wireless technology are around 1.5 inches long and can be used to test for this space. Then, check the instructions for your car seat and owners' manuals for the vehicle to determine if you can adjust the angle of the car seat to remove the space.
2. Harness Position
Preemies and infants often fall into a dangerous chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats swings, strollers and other children's equipment. In a crash, they may be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the harness straps that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are set just a little below the shoulders of the child, and then come up over their shoulders. Adjust them to prevent this. The straps should be tight enough to allow you to pinch any excess fabric together which is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers can interfere with the Pinch Test, so take them off them before you buckle your child in their seat.
forward facing infant car seat is designed for a crash, however it could compress a neck of the child if it's too low or are loose. The chest clip shouldn't be in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level.
In a crash, infants who are rear-facing may slide off the seat. The harness straps must be able to support the head and neck of the child. This is why it's important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too high they can slip over the baby's ears, or go through their neck opening, and if they are too loose they can move toward the child's nose.
Make sure that the straps for your child's shoulders are securely fitted and in the slots above or at the child's shoulders. Newborns might need an infant insert (often provided with the car seat) to lift their shoulders until they reach this slot. Some infant car seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors to aid in this process and you should always refer to the instructions included with your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
Some parents might be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are becoming shorter in the seat facing rearwards, however there is no reason to do this. Rear-facing is more secure than forward-facing as the infant's spine and neck are protected in the event of an accident. Children who are facing forwards are thrown backwards against the vehicle and can cause serious injuries.
In addition, many infant car seats come with a built-in angle indicator so you can be sure the seat is installed correctly. It is also important to ensure that your child's head rests flat on the seat and that the straps are over their shoulders, not under their arms. To determine whether the harness is tight it is best to hold a small amount material around the shoulder of your child. It is also essential to check the strap around the crotch to make sure it is level with the armpits, not at the waist. It is also recommended to read the manual for your infant car seat to ensure you understand the correct method to use it with your child.
Most 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 height and weight limits of their specific car seat. Some states have laws requiring infants to be rear-facing for a minimum of two years.
Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a car that only has one back seat. This will allow you to see your child clearly through the rearview mirror, without having to bend. Installing the car seat on your driver's side will also make it easier to get your child into and out of the seat.
If you own a car with two rear seats, you can place the infant car seat on either side as you don't place it in front of the passenger-side air bag. If you must choose between installing an infant car seat on either the left or right side of your vehicle, you can install it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
Children who outgrow their infant car seat by weight and height must use a booster seat until their vehicle seat belt fits them properly. This can only happen if they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the guidelines of the manufacturer of your seat for exact measurements).
Booster seats aid in positioning the shoulder belt and lap correctly. Booster seats also help reduce the distance that a neck of a child moves during a collision, reducing the chance of injury. Head movement is the main cause of motor vehicle crashes, which are the leading deaths of children aged 4-8.
If a booster isn't properly used the lap belt can travel over a child’s abdomen and cause serious injuries in an accident. This can be avoided by using a booster equipped with lap belt guides that stop the lap belt from slipping over arm rests or sliding on a child's belly.
Many boosters are equipped with armrests, handles, or guide slots that aid to place the lap belt in a low and flat position across a child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt begins and remains on a child's strong hip bones, instead of slipping into their stomachs during an accident.
Certain booster seats feature a seatbelt locking mechanism that secures the seatbelt when a child is seated in them. This will help to prevent the lapbelt from slipping up and over the child's abdomen. This will prevent the seatbelt from being pulled upwards over a child’s face. This could cause airway obstruction and hypoxia, as well neck strain.