A Comprehensive Guide To Infant Car Seat In Front Seat From Start To Finish
Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
When children outgrow their infant car seats, they can change to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats can be rear-facing or forward-facing, however they have to meet certain age and weight requirements.
Car seats should never be placed in front of a seat that has airbags because the force of the deployed airbag could be fatal for children and babies.
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, especially if they are in the front seat. The result is that the airbag could injure or kill the baby.
Infant car seats are designed to be rearward-facing. best car seats 's back rests against the back of the seat in a crash, providing the best protection for your infant.
A rear-facing car seat protects your child's neck and head better than a front-facing car seat that only offers little protection. The headrest also prevents the child from sliding off the shoulder straps during the event of a crash, and the harness keeps the chest clip in place above the shoulders of your child.
It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO reported instances of children sitting in forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they strike the rear of the seat. This occurs when a child's feet are lifted and then get stuck against the back of the seat, putting enormous stress on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to put your child at risk for this.
There are numerous programs across the country for parents who meet the criteria to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great way to get your child into an appropriate car seat before they outgrow it and use it in a safe way for many years.
Most modern infant car seats come with a base that they can click into and out of, which makes them much easier to use than older models. This feature is especially helpful for families with small children, as you can keep the car seat installed and ready to go even when switching vehicles.
Find the center of the vehicle seat and measure with the aid of a tape. Many things, such as the blade of a house key or the length of earbuds that are wireless, are about 1.5 inches long and can be used to check for this space. After that, you should check the instructions for your car seat and owners' manuals for the vehicle to determine whether you can adjust the angle of the car seat to remove the space.
2. Harness Position
Newborns and preemies often get into a potentially dangerous chest-to-chin position in infant car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other children's equipment. In a crash the children could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. To avoid this, ensure that the straps for your shoulders start slightly below and come upwards over the shoulders of the child and be sure to tighten the straps. The straps should be secure enough that you can pinch any fabric that isn't tight enough This is known as the Pinch Test. Overly bulky outer layers such as winter coats can hinder this, so make sure to remove them prior to you buckle your child into their seat.
The chest clip is designed to break in a crash but it can cause a child's throat to collapse when it's too low or if the chest straps are loose. It's also important that the chest strap is not placed in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be positioned at the armpit level.
During a crash, rear-facing infants are more likely to slide across the seat and the harness straps should be able to hold the child's neck and head. This is why it's very important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too high they can slip over the baby's ears or slide through the opening in their neck, and if they're too loose, they could move up to the child's nose.
Make sure that the straps for your child's shoulders are snugly fitted and in the slots above or on the child's shoulders. Newborns may require a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to lift them up so their shoulders reach the slot. Some infant car seats come with angle indicators or adjustors to assist you in this. You can also check the instructions provided 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 rear-facing seat but there is no need to do this. Rear-facing is more secure than forward-facing as the infant's neck and spine are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children are more susceptible to serious injuries because their bodies are thrown against the vehicle.
Many infant car seats also include an angle indicator so that you can ensure the seat is installed correctly. Also, you should ensure that your child's head is on the seat flat, and that the straps are on their shoulders, not under their arms. To check if the harness is too tight, you should be able pinch a small amount of material at your child's shoulder. Check the crotch strap to make sure it's at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read your infant car seat manual to ensure you understand the correct way to use it for your child.
Most manufacturers recommend that kids ride rear-facing until they're at minimum one year old or until they reach the weight and height limits. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for at minimum two years.
Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle that only has one back seat. This will allow you to see your child easily through the rearview mirror, without having to bend. It's also helpful to install the car seat on the driver's side, so you don't have to walk all the way around your vehicle every time you need to get your child in or out of their car seat.
If your vehicle has two rear seats, the infant car seat can be placed on either side so long as it's not in the airbag's front on the passenger's side. If you have to decide whether to install the infant car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, put it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
Children who have outgrown their infant car seats due to weight and height will need an additional booster until the car's seat belt fits them properly. This can only happen if they are at least 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 can help position the lap belt and shoulder properly. They can also limit the distance the child's head moves during the crash, which lowers the chance of injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the most fatal killer of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the most significant cause.
If a booster is used improperly the lap portion of the belt may slide up to the abdomen of a child and cause severe injuries in the event of a crash. This can be avoided by using a booster that has lap belt guides that prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding on a child's stomach.
Many boosters come with small handles and armrests or guide slots to put the lapbelt flat on the child's upper legs. This ensures that the lapbelt begins and remains on the strong hipbones of the child, rather than moving upwards into their abdominal area during an accident.
Certain booster seats feature an automatic seatbelt lock mechanism that keeps the seatbelt in place when a child sits in them. This will help to keep the lap belt from slipping up and over the child's abdomen. This can also help prevent the seat belt from being pulled over the face of a child, which could result in hypoxia and airway obstruction as also neck strain.
