Parenting Blog

You have read the precautions and followed the instructions carefully; but did you know that your child could still be subject to danger in his car seat? In fact, thousands of injuries are caused each year by accidents involving car seats when they are being used properly. To keep your child out of harm’s way, watch for these common threats to his or her safety.

First, you should always check to make sure the car seat’s arm is locked in place before you pick it up. Also, many accidents involving car seats are caused by falling or tipping, so avoid leaving car seats on tables or other surfaces above ground level. Do not put a car seat on an unstable surface like a couch or a bed. It is always safest when it’s not in a car to keep your car seat on the ground.

Have your child sit or stand inside the car when you are loading the car seat. Many injuries and even deaths happen when children are left unattended near cars or other vehicles. A parking lot is an especially dangerous place for a child. And of course, never leave a child alone in a car seat, even if the car is running with air conditioning or if you are just running in and out of a store. A young child is never safe in an unattended car.

Certain studies have shown that infants, when placed in car seats, experience breathing difficulties. This is because they cannot support their own heads, so oxygen flow is restricted. Although this restriction is usually not a serious threat to your baby’s health, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that until a baby can support his own head, he should spend as little time as possible in a car seat. You should keep an eye on infants, especially premature ones, to monitor his breathing in a car seat. A baby is especially at risk for restricted breathing when he sleeps in a car seat.

If your baby is wearing heavy clothing or a winter coat, you should take care to ensure that the strap of the car seat still fits snugly on your baby’s chest. A child who is under twelve months old and weighs less than twenty pounds should not ride in a forward-facing car seat, though the AAP insists that children continue to face the back of the car for as long as possible. Convertible car seats will enable a child weighing well over twenty pounds to ride facing the back of the car. Be sure to check your car seat’s weight requirements to keep your baby safe on road trips.