Choosing Between an Infant and a Convertible Newborn Car Seat

A newborn car seat is also known as a baby car seat or infant safety seat. It protects babies from injury and death in vehicle accidents. They have a harness that distributes the restraint forces across the child's body and head instead of the spinal cord and neck.

These seats are available in rear-facing and convertible versions, and come with the option of varying weights and height limits. These seats can also be part of a travel set that snaps into the base of a stroller.

Rear-facing

Rear-facing infant car seats provide the most complete protection for infants during crashes. They are designed to hold and support children, protecting their neck, head and spine. They also help to disperse the impact of a collision to prevent your child's body from being hit, reducing injuries. This is because your child's body isn't collision-prone with the car seat or front passenger seat, but instead a soft, padded surface inside their car seat.

According to the AAP as well as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Parents should keep their child rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. At around the age of 1, children will outgrow the infant car seat and transition to a convertible car seat that can be oriented forward. But, many parents prefer to keep their child in a rear-facing car seat until the 2nd birthday of their child.

There are two primary types: infant-only car seat and convertible car seats. Both are equally safe but have different features. For instance, infant-only chairs are smaller, lighter and come with a quick release base that can be easily detached from the car, and then reattached to a stroller base. Convertible car seat are heavier and more spacious. They also do not come with a stroller base.

Regardless of which type of seat you choose it is essential to adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines and ensure that you use the seat in the back seat of your vehicle. You can also put a tightly rolled blanket or washcloth between the crotch harness and your child's harness to ensure the harness is securely secured. Check that the lower anchors of your car seat are correctly installed and are connected to the lower anchor points on the lower anchor bars.

While there is much debate over the length of time a baby can ride with their back facing, research suggests that infants as young as 12 months old are less likely to sustain injuries in car accidents when they're facing the back of the car. Baby car seats that face rear also experience a lesser impact when they strike the front of the car, in contrast to the rear of the car seat, which can result in serious injuries.

Forward-facing

The majority of parents have given lots of consideration to their newborn car seat. It was a major item on the baby registry and the way you brought your baby home from the hospital. You might consider changing the car seat to face forward when your child grows older. However, it's important be aware that children aren't quite ready until they reach the weight and height limits set by the manufacturer of their car seat.

Rear-facing is recommended until your baby weighs at minimum 20 pounds and has reached the age of one year. This is because children younger than one year old don't have enough neck muscles to handle the whiplash that results from being thrown forward facing infant car seat in an accident. They also face a higher risk of spinal injuries when involved in head-on collisions.

You can purchase a convertible or an all-in-one car seat, which allows you to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the weight and height limit for the seat. These are usually bucket-style infant car seats on sale car seats that attach to a base for installation in your vehicle. The base can then be removed and connected to strollers to form a travel system. However, they usually have lower maximum weight and height limits than the standard convertible car seats.

You can also purchase a booster. These seats are equipped with a harness, and can be converted into a booster seat that allows your child to wear a seat belt when they are ready. The major benefit of this type of car seat is that it will remain in your vehicle throughout the childhood years which makes it simple to move your child from one vehicle to another.

No matter which car seat you choose make sure you read the instructions and follow the installation guidelines. Get a certified safety technician to ensure that your child's car seat has been installed and used properly. The misuse of car seats is common, and well-meaning parents can injure their children if they don't understand what they're doing. It is best to read the instructions on the car seat and follow the recommendations of a CPST.

Convertible

Many parents choose convertible infant car seats because they can develop with your child which allows them to travel in a safe manner from infancy to toddlerhood. They are cheaper than infant car seats and offer longevity for a long time. It's important to select the right model that is compatible with your vehicle and is simple to install. Also, ensure that you buckle up your baby properly every time.

Snug straps stop the head from slipping into the risky chin-to-chest position that can cause strangulation or even asphyxiation. Many infant car seats have loose or unbuckled straps and pose a serious safety risk. Unbuckled straps can lead to a neck that hangs loose that has been the source of many accidents. The crotch buckle may pose a risk if it is not tight enough to pass the pinch test. This test determines if the crotch buckle is tight enough to prevent a baby's legs from sliding around in the seat and causing them to be cut or trapped.

Some convertible infant car seat that swivels car seats by age seats come with an adjustable torso height, which lets you adjust the height limit to suit the growth of your child. The torso's minimum height should be the same as the height of your infant's shoulders or one inch lower. Some models come with an rotating infant car seat insert to aid in raising your child up to the right height.

The ideal convertible car seat for newborns must be padded and comfortable, with soft padding and a slim base to allow you to fit it into your vehicle. It should also include an incredibly snug, secure harness that passes the pinch test, and an incredibly small, tightly-rolled towel or blanket in case in the event of an accident. It should also have a tether that attaches to the anchor points of your vehicle, which can minimize injuries from an accident by reducing the force of impact. Additionally it should include an infant travel system that comprises an infant car seat (Rotary3700.Kr) that can be paired with a stroller, and comes with an handle that you can use to transport your infant from the car to the stroller.

Safety features

Parents have a lot to think about when choosing the appropriate car seat for their newborns. However, car seats are an essential purchase for new families because correctly using them can reduce the risk of fatal child collisions with motor vehicles by 70 percent. The choice between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat is based on a few key factors such as safety features and compatibility with your vehicle, and ease of use.

Infant car seats are designed with a newborn's fragile physiology in mind. They typically have an attached base that remains in the vehicle, and the carrier snaps into the position, making it simple to move your baby from car to stroller and back again without disturbing them. They have a crotch and harness built in to ensure your child secure.

Some infant cars are also equipped with side impact protection that disperses the force of a crash away from the newborn's neck and head. Plastic, metal and foam absorb energy and protect the baby's face from direct contact with the frame of a vehicle or any other object involved in a collision. Some have a special sock that extends beyond the door to protect the child's head.

Another security feature that's becoming more common in infant car seats is a chest clip that keeps the harness straps straight across the chest of your baby. This prevents the straps from pinching or twisting at the shoulders, which could place your baby at a higher risk of injury. If you opt for a seat with this feature, make sure that the chest clip is at armpit height. Avoid dressing your baby with heavy outerwear since it could interfere with the harness.

Whatever kind of car seat you select, check that it's installed in your vehicle in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer. Look for the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system. This system comprises connectors that clip into the lower anchor points of your car and the tether which is attached to an anchor inside the vehicle. If your vehicle does not have LATCH, a seatbelt may be used to secure car seats.