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Home » Consumer Information » Child Care & Safety

Child Seat Safety

From the very first time you take your baby for a car ride, be sure to place the baby in a rear-facing car seat that is properly positioned and fastened in the back seat. This is the safest location for your baby during travel. Here are some suggestions to help you keep your baby enjoy a peaceful drive:

  1. Before the baby is born, buy a car seat that fits snugly in your vehicle and operates with ease. It is essential that the car seat’s restraint be locked in with a seat belt and that the child is buckled in as well.
  2. In the earlier weeks when your baby has limited command of its head, it’s a good idea to place a head support or rolled up baby blanket under your baby’s head to stabilize it. Otherwise, sudden jerks or bumps may cause the baby’s head to flop uncontrollably.
  3. Never place the baby adjacent to the driver in the front passenger seat, especially if your car is equipped with a passenger-side airbag. If the airbag was to eject during a crash, the strength of the force caused by accelerated expansion could severely injure kill the baby even when it is safely strapped in.
  4. If your baby is ill or constantly needs to be attended to, it is important to have an adult accompany the infant in the back seat. It can be extremely risky for everyone inside the car if the driver is distracted and incessantly looking over their shoulder to check on the baby.
  5. The rear-facing position of the car seat is definitely the safest. It is crucial that you don’t transition your baby into the full-size safety seat prematurely. At the bare minimum, your baby should weigh no less than 20 pounds and be at least a year old. If your child is large in stature, but still underage, it is still vital to keep the baby in a rear-facing seat. Some rear-facing seats sustain a weight limit up to 25 pounds, while some of the newest versions support as much as 30 pounds. Each seat should be accompanied by a list of facts that will outline all the details necessary to influence your decision, so read carefully.
  6. When inserting a child seat into your vehicle, prolong the life of the upholstery with a vinyl shelf liner.
  7. When using a child safety seat with a newborn, you can save some money by forgoing the purchase of an aftermarket head pad that restricts movement of the baby’s head. As a substitute, use a bundled up towel, and lay it behind the head.
  8. If you are bothered by the thought of a seat belt chafing against your baby’s skin, consider cutting the bottoms off of low-ply anklet socks. Then, slide the socks onto the belt, and position the makeshift padding where it may rub against the baby’s face.
  9. As much as you may want to cuddle your little bundle of joy, an automobile in motion is no place for this sort of activity. Under no circumstances should anyone in the car be unbuckled during a trip, especially the baby. Follow this rule unconditionally.