Just a quick word about strapping your child in a carseat:
I can’t TELL you how many times over the past few years I’ve noticed parents strapping their kids into carseats (usually infant seats) with straps that are WAY too loose! If the straps are hanging off the kid’s shoulders, that’s really not going to help them at all if you get in a car accident. However much slack is in the straps, that’s how far your child will be flung forward during an accident.
Make sure that the straps are very snug against your child’s torso. You’re not going to hurt them, and who cares if it annoys them a little. They shouldn’t cut into the shoulders, but you should not be able to pinch any slack in the strap.
The chest clip should be across their chest, not down on the belly. Aim to have it across the nipple line.
These are our kids’ lives we’re talking about, people. If the straps are too loose, your child can literally be flung out of their seat in an accident. Take a little extra time to make sure that they’re tight enough and positioned correctly—every time.
A commentor on on my post about Extended Harnessing asked me a very good question to which I’d like to respond more fully and publically. She asked about carseats having an expiration date. YES. They do. Typically, a carseat will last a good 5-6 years before it is expired, but you really have to check with your manufacturer to make sure of specifics. You can find the date-of-manufacture on the side of the seat, and that’s what you go by. Occasionally seats will be sold with earlier dates of manufacture than when you bought them…for example, you bought it this month but the DOM is in 2007. (I think this mainly happens when you buy online from certain retailers) Make sure you check this DOM before you buy so you know what you’re getting since you will have one less year of usage from the seat.
Be wary of buying used carseats. Two times lately I have gone to consignment sales and seen expired carseats for sale. These were large, well-organized sales where you would not expect to see something being sold that’s unsafe. Both times I found nasty, eight year-old carseats for sale that seriously looked like they were about to fall apart. I emailed both organizations that put on the sale and let them know that they need to have more research and stringent requirements about what carseats they sell.
Ideally, you should not buy a used carseat at all. If a seat is ever in an accident, it is rendered unusable and should be discarded. If you buy a used seat, especially from someone you don’t know, you have no idea if that seat has ever been in an accident or not. Accidents weaken the seat and will not adequately protect your child.
When your carseat expires and you are ready to get rid of it, make sure to cut the straps before you put it on the curb because someone WILL come-by and snatch it before it’s taken away, and you don’t want to endanger another child with your old seat.
Here is a video showing what happens when an expired carseat gets in an accident:
OK, this is the last installment of my series on carseat safety. (I’m sure all my childless readers are thankful for that!)
The reccomended guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics and most state’s laws are that a child may be transferred to a booster seat by the age of four AND 40 lbs. I’d like to give you a little more information beyond those limits that makes a case for what’s called “extended harnessing.”
Extended harnessing has found attention in the public eye through the Kyle David Miller Foundation, an organization set-up to honor the memory of a little boy who didn’t have to die. Kyle was in a car accident when he was riding in a booster seat at age 3, his seatbelt failed, and he was ejected from the car and killed. His parents weren’t aware that a 5-point harness carseat existed for a child of his size, and after the accident they learned that had he been in a 5-point harness, his life could have been saved.
Some reasons to keep your child in a 5-point harness beyond 4 years and 40 lbs.:
“Children under 7-10 years of age should not be placed into a booster seat. This is because the child’s iliac crests (hip bones) are not yet developed enough such that they prevent the adult seatbelt from resting on the soft abdomen. Therefore an adult seatbelt provides insufficient protection to the child and could result in internal injuries, possibly resulting in the death of the child.” Tom Bologa, President of Britax USA
The force of the crash is spread across five points of their body rather than three.
Even though some booster seats have adjusters, it is a concern that a child may not have the seatbelt positioned correctly over his chest and shoulder.
Wiggly kids aren’t safe. Seatbelts are designed to work when you’re sitting up and back, so that the emergency locking mechanism will kick-in and the belt stays tight, allowing no slack, in the event of a crash. Young children often don’t have the maturity to stay still and keep the belt correctly positioned throughout the entire duration of the car ride. When a child leans foward and the belt is stretched, that allows for more room for their body to be ejected foward in a crash.
Carseats with a 5-point harness have an added safety of the top tether. This stabilizes the carseat (and the child) against the seat of the car during a crash. This greatly reduces the amount of foward motion and space a child’s head will cover when they are flung foward.
“The number one killer of children in America is vehicle crashes. The problem with that statement is that nothing is changing. Now if that statement was, for example, the number one killer is childhood cancer what would happen? The parents would be all over the doctors to find a cure. But the responsibility lays in the parents hands and nobody is doing anything about it.
Best practice is ABOVE the law, not just the law minimum. Children are not replaceable, so its worth it for a parent to take the extra steps to make their child safe. The saddest part is too many people worry about vanity and others’ thoughts. They may think that their 6 year old will look too big for that forward facing child restraint, or that their best friend will nag on them about using a forward facing child restraint for their 8 year old. All a belt positioning booster seat does is lift a child off the vehicle seat to sit better behind the seat belt, both at the shoulder and how the belt lays across the hips. A 5-point forward facing child restraint provides all the extra safety that is above mentioned.” (Kris Abbink Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician)
A few reccomendations for seats:
Britax Regent - This is a foward-facing only seat that holds from 22 lbs. to 80 lbs. $250-300
Sunshine Kids Radian80 - This rear-faces up to 33 lbs. and foward-faces up to 80 lbs. $250-300
Any other previously mentioned seat that harnesses above 40 lbs.
Are combination/3-in-1 seats reccomended? (one seat that changes from a convertible carseat to a booster)
No, not generally. While these seats are safe, they tend to have very low harness height which means your child will likely outgrow the 5-pt. harness BEFORE he is 40 lbs/4 years old… which leaves you with the decision of putting him in a booster seat before it is safe or buying another seat. This could be unsafe and a waste of money. You’d do better to just invest in a higher weight-limit seat in the beginning and use it for longer.
OK, let’s be honest. Unless you’re really convinced by the safety facts, you’re probably saying to yourself, “This is ridiculous. We hardly even wore seatbelts when I was a kid, and I’m fine, I can’t imagine my 80 lb. child sitting in a carseat!” To that I say, thank God our parents weren’t in a serious crash because we’d probably be dead. Let’s not jeopardize our children’s life for the sake of the “I’m ok” argument. For more information, see www.car-safety.com.
If you have a young child, watch this video. No really, watch it. (It also has a great song to go along with it, if that helps!)
The rule is that the minimum requirements for a child to face foward in a carseat is that they be at least 20 lbs. AND 1 year-old. Some 1 year-olds aren’t 20 lbs. yet–keep them rear-facing. Some 20 pounders aren’t 1–keep them rear-facing. Evelyne is 20 lbs. AND 1, but she’s still rear-facing….WHY?
When your child is in a rear-facing carseat and you get in a frontal crash (72% of accidents, by far the most common and severe), the force of the crash is spread across the child’s entire body, and the seat absorbs most of the impact. The force is spread throughout the back and head, and this protects the head from snapping backward from the body. When your child is foward-facing, his body absorbs the impact. The foward-facing child’s head and legs aren’t restrained, and in a serious frontal crash, they are thrown foward like a rag doll.
“The anatomy of a young child is very different to that of a developed adult. This puts them more at risk for certain serious injuries. The head on a child is relatively large and very heavy in relation to the body. The head constitutes approximately twenty five per cent of the child’s weight. For a developed adult, the head constitutes approximately six percent of their weight.
When the heavy head of the forward-facing child is thrust forward in an accident, this puts an enormous amount of stress on the child’s neck, which is trying to hold back the head. The heavy weight of the child’s head can stretch the spinal cord. “According to documented research, autopsy specimens of infant spines and ligaments allow for spinal column elongation of up to two inches, but the spinal cord ruptures if stretched more than 1/4 inch. Real-world experience has shown that a young child’s skull can be literally ripped from her spine by the force of a crash.” (source: CPSTE ). If the spinal cord stretches too far in an accident this can cause it to tear, thus resulting in paralysis or death of the child. This is often described as “internal decapitation”.
Even babies who ‘appear’ to have strong neck muscles and good head control are susceptible to these risks.
Rear-facing car seats may not work as effectively in a rear impact but frontal, frontal offset and side impacts are not only more common, but account for the most percentage of fatalities. As discussed above, rear impacts account for a very small percentage of fatalities in accidents in comparison to frontal, frontal offset and side impacts.
Young children have immature cervical vertebrae that are not strong enough to protect the spinal cord adequately in an accident when forward-facing in a frontal crash. The vertebrae are still in pieces joined by cartilage. These pieces are soft and have not yet ossified into a complete circle of bone which will enclose and protect the spinal cord.
Because the vertebrae are still in pieces (joined only by cartilage), a child that is forward-facing faces a heightened risk of damage to the spinal cord when their head and neck pull forward and back in a frontal crash.
Small children also have poorly developed, fragile, flexible neck muscles, loose ligaments to allow for growth, small rib cages, undeveloped abdominal muscles, soft spinal columns and unprotected relatively larger abdominal organs.
The vertebrae do not completely ossify until ages 3-6 years old. This is why rear-facing for as long as possible is safest, because it gives more support and protection to the incomplete vertebrae and therefore the spinal cord……
Children in Sweden ride rear facing until they are three to five years old or as much as 25kg (55lbs), lowering traffic death and injury rates in Sweden considerably. It is uncommon to turn a child to forward-facing before these ages. “From 1992 through June 1997, only 9 children properly restrained rear-facing died in motor vehicle crashes in Sweden, and all of these involved catastrophic crashes with severe intrusion and few other survivors.” (source: CPSAFETY).”
After reading that, I’m convinced that I will do everything I can to keep Evelyne rear-facing as long as possible. A common misconception is that their legs are in danger of being broken if they’re bent-up againt the seat. There are no documented cases of a child’s legs being broken, yet many children’s necks are broken, resulting in death, by being turned foward-facing too soon. Ev is starting to have to bend her legs a little bit, and she doesn’t even notice or care! She doesn’t know otherwise.
If you are planning to rear-face your child beyond the typical one-year/20 lbs. mark, make sure when you’re shopping for convertible carseats that you pay attention to the rear-facing weight limits of the seat. The highest I know of go up to 35 pounds with 17-inch slots for the shoulder straps.
We all make our choies and try to do what’s best for our children. I hope this information will help you make a more informed choice.
*Again, most of my information comes from www.car-safety.org. What I’ve given is by no means a comprehensive explanation of the benefits of rear-facing, so I encourage you to visit this site and learn more about the safety benefits.
OK, so your baby is a little older and has either outgrown her infant seat or is just looking like she might want more room to stretch-out. Here begins the confusing world of convertible carseats.
First, it must be said that any seat on the market is considered safe when used properly because it has passed the government safety standards and crash tests. However, some seats have features that make it much EASIER to use correctly every time, and some go beyond the standard safety protocols. Additionally, some seats may be used longer than others based-on weight and height requirements. Before choosing a seat, this Buying Guide is very helpful in distinguishing what to look for.
Some main things:
Rear-facing is the safest possible way for your child to ride! (More on this in Part 3)
Look for a seat with a high rear-facing weight limit, ideally around 30-35 lbs.
Look for a seat with a high foward-facing weight limit, ideally around 55-65 lbs.
Look at the height of the top shoulder harness. Brands differ dramatically on this, and it can make a huge difference in how long the child is able to use the seat. They can outgrow it in torso length before weight.
A few reccomendations:
Fisher-Price Safe Voyage Deluxe -This is the seat that we have, and it comes highly reccomended by the carseat safety community as a great value for the money. It’s made by Britax, but sold under the Fisher-Price name, so you get the same frame as a Decathalon for a better price and without a couple bells and whistles. It rear-faces to 33 lbs. and foward-faces to 55 lbs. Typically, this will get most kids until the age of 5 or 6. $129 I have recently been alerted to the fact that the FPSVD isn’t be made anymore. So pay careful attention to the date-of-manufacture if you purchase one. They have a 6-year life-span, and the older the DOM is, the fewer years you are able to use it. Britax has been known to partially refund the purchase price if you get an old DOM, and I believe that it’s still a great deal if you are able to get 4-5 years out of it.
Britax Marathon, Decathalon, Boulevard- The Britax brand makes the Cadillacs of carseats. These seats have several more features that allow for an easier install and a rear-faced tether that anchors the seat to the car. (the FPSVD only has a foward-facing tether) Around $250-300 depending on where you buy
Cosco Scenera - Surprisingly, this is a very low-priced carseat that has great rear-facing weight limits! It rear-faces to 35 lbs. and foward-faces to 40 lbs. It’s a no-frills seat, but if used correctly, it passes all safety and crash tests. If you are thinking about buying another seat with the same weight-limits, you’d probably do better to just get this one as it offers the same protection for a much cheaper price. $43.74 at Wal-Mart
I’m definitely not a carseat expert, but if you want to ask questions of some people who are, here’s where to go. For information on where to find a carseat technician in your area who will check your carseat for proper installalation, look here. For a really great and comprehensive list on highly reccomended carseats, look here.
Let’s talk carseats. I’ve come a long way in understanding the function and importance of carseats. I started this motherhood thing by borrowing a barely-used seat from a friend (without a manual of how to use it), and Clay installed it in the parking lot of the hospital an hour before we left. She fit ok, but we kept wondering why, over time, the seatbelt seemed to get looser and the seat was literally sliding around our backseat! Hmmm….. I suppose in our sleep-deprived state we weren’t thinking very clearly about how that meant our baby could DIE if we got in a wreck!
Since then, I have learned a lot about carseat safety from other moms and the Internet. Let’s just say that from what I’ve learned, and knowing my very nature as a researcher-type person, I’m kinda shocked that I didn’t look into this, oh, BEFORE she was born and I stuck her her in a seat!
According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of children 1-14. Statistically, over 80% (and 95% in some areas) of carseats are improperly used and installed. It’s not rocket science, but it does take a little effort and reading the manual. Before whipping-out the manual, here are a few things to check when you’re installing an infant carseat (not a comprehensive list):
ALWAYS install rear-facing in the backseat!
The straps should be at or below shoulder level and “snug as a hug.” You should not be able to pinch any slack between your fingers. However much slack is in the straps is the amount of space your baby will be flung at high speeds if you crash.
The chest clip should be at CHEST level. Aim for the nipple-line, do NOT let it sag down to the belly.
Check your manual for the max weight/height limit, different brands vary, and your baby might have grown-out of his seat earlier than you expected!
Depending on your car, you might need to use a locking clip to secure the base. (this is what we didn’t know and why our base kept sliding all over the seat!) http://www.carseatsite.com/lockingclips.htm
Seat should be installed on a 45 degree angle.
The base should move no more than an inch sideways along the beltpath.
A very helpful site for me has been www.car-safety.org. It’s pretty comprehensive, has a million FAQ’s and many helpful links. Please make sure you read your safety manual before installation, and keep its guidelines in mind through the entire time of use. WAY too many babies are improperly strapped-in their seats, and it’s just an unnecessary risk.
