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Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
As children outgrow their car seats for infants, they can be moved to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats are available in rear-facing and forward-facing versions, but they must meet certain weight and age requirements.
Car seats should not be placed on top of a car seat with airbags, since the force of the deployed airbag can be fatal for infants and children.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents ask whether an infant car seat may be placed in front of the vehicle driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason is simple: If a crash happens, the child could have their head struck by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The result is that the airbag can injure or kill the baby.
Infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing. The back of the seat rests against the rear of the car seat in a crash, providing the best protection for your infant.
A rear-facing car seats protects your child's neck and head more effectively than a front-facing one that offers only the most basic protection. The headrest also prevents the child from falling off the shoulder straps in an accident and the harness will keep the chest clip in place above your child's shoulders.
It is important to keep in mind that there have been ZERO documented instances of children in forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they hit the rear of the vehicle seat. This occurs when a child's feet rise and become caught against the back of the seat, putting enormous pressure on the bones of the leg. This is not something you should put your child at risk of.
There are a variety of programs throughout the country that allow parents who qualify to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe seat before they grow out of it and use it safely for many years.
The base of the majority of newer infant car seat models is designed to be removed and inserted, making them easier to use. This feature is particularly useful when traveling with children because you can keep the car seat in place and ready for use even when changing vehicles.
Find the middle of the seat and measure with the help of a tape. This space can be checked using a variety of objects, including the blade of a key or length of the wireless earbuds. Then, check
best car seats on your car seat as well as the the owner's manual of your vehicle to determine whether you can adjust the angle of the car seat to eliminate the space.
2. Harness Position
Preemies and newborns frequently fall into a dangerous chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other equipment for children. In a crash, they may be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the harness straps that are loose or not placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, ensure that the straps on your shoulder start a bit lower and move up to the shoulders of your child and ensure that you tighten the straps. The straps should be secure enough to be able to pinch any fabric that isn't tight enough This is known as the Pinch Test. Overly bulky outer layers such as winter coats can interfere with this, so be sure to remove them before you buckle your child into their seat.
The chest clip is designed to protect against a fall, but it can compress the neck of a 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.
During a crash, rear-facing infants are more likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps need to be able to cradle the child's head and neck. This is why it's crucial that the straps are placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too low, they can slip through the opening on the neck of the baby or over their ears. If they are too loose, they could touch the face of the child.
Make sure that the straps for your child's shoulders are properly fitted and positioned in the slots above or at the shoulders of your child. Newborns may require a separate infant insert (often included with the car seat) to raise them up so their shoulders reach this slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors that could assist you in this. You can also refer to the instructions provided in your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
While some parents may be tempted to flip their infant car seat to face forward, due to their child's legs becoming too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason why you should. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing, as the child's spine and neck are supported in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children may suffer serious injuries due to the fact that their bodies are thrown against the vehicle.
A majority of infant car seats include an angle indicator built in to ensure that the seat is correctly installed. It is also important to ensure that your child's head is flat on the seat and that the straps are on their shoulders instead of under their arms. To check whether the harness is tight, you should be able squeeze a small amount of material on the shoulder of your child. It is also important to check the strap around the crotch to make sure that it is at a level with the armpits, rather than at the waist. You should also review the instruction manual for your infant car seat so that you know how to use it correctly.
Most manufacturers advise that children ride rear-facing in their car seats until they are at least one year old or until they have reached the height and weight limits of their car seat. Certain states have laws that require babies to remain rear-facing until they are two years old.
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 comfortably 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 in and out of the seat.
If you have a vehicle with two rear seats, you can put the infant car seat on either side as long as it's not in front of the passenger-side airbag. If you have to choose between installing the infant car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, place it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
All children who exceed the size of their car seat for infants by weight and height must be fitted with a booster seat until the seat belt is fitted properly. This can only happen when they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the seat manufacturer's recommendations for exact measurements).
Booster seats help to position the lap and shoulder belt correctly. They also limit the amount that a child's neck moves during a collision, reducing the risk of injury. Motor vehicle crashes are the most fatal killer of children between the ages of 4-8, and head movement is the most significant cause.
If a booster is not used correctly the lap belt can travel over a child’s abdomen and cause serious injuries if an accident occurs. This can be prevented by using a booster equipped with lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding onto a child's stomach.
A lot of boosters have handles that are small and armrests or guide slots to put the lapbelt flat on the child's upper legs. This will ensure that the lapbelt begins and remains on the child's strong hipbones instead of moving upwards into their abdominal region during an accident.
Some booster seats are equipped with an automatic seat belt locking mechanism to keep the belt secure while the child is in it. This can help in preventing the lap belt from moving up over a child's abdomen. This can also help keep the belt from being pulled over a child's face, which could result in hypoxia and airway obstruction as also neck strain.