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Sat, July, 31, 2010

Car Seats

The "best" seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and fits your family's needs in terms of comfort and convenience. When shopping for a car seat, keep the following points in mind.

• Put your child in the appropriate car seat for his/her height, weight and age.

• Infants should be in a semi-reclined, rear-facing position and should have full support of the head, neck and back, while riding in an automobile. Use a rear-facing seat until your child is at least 1 year old and weighs at least 20 pounds, or for as long as baby fits in the seat, without exceeding the seat's maximum weight limit. This is the safest orientation should a frontal crash occur.

• Avoid graduating children to the next type of car seat until it becomes necessary due to their height or weight.
  Do not use a seat that is over 6 years old. Plastic can deteriorate and safety standards change.

• Avoid used car seats. The manual is often missing and you don't know if it has been in a crash or been recalled.

• When you purchase a new child safety seat be sure to fill out and return the registration card. This is the only way a manufacturer can notify you in case of a recall.

Take note that a harness system with a shield is not appropriate for a baby, since the shield sits in front of the face or neck and holds the harness straps away from the baby's body. For a forward-facing child, a 5-point harness has several advantages.

Child Safety Seats
Be wary of seats that double as carriers, as a number of these have been recalled. Convertible seats don't have a separate base, nor can they double as infant carriers. They can hold larger babies who have outgrown an infant seat but are not yet ready to use a forward-facing seat. Some models can hold children rear-facing until they weigh 30 or 35 pounds.