Infant Car Seat In Front Seat Tools To Streamline Your Daily Life

Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children outgrow their infant car seats they can be moved to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats are available in forward-facing and rear-facing versions, but they must meet certain weight and age requirements.

It is not advised to place car seats in front of airbags the vehicle seat, since the force of the airbag could be fatal for babies and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason is simple: If there is a crash, the child's head could be struck by an airbag when in the front seat. The airbag could injure or even kill a baby.

This is why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. In the event of a collision, the seat's back will rest against the back of your vehicle seat. This is the best protection for the infant.

A rear-facing car seats protects your child's neck and head better than a front-facing seat, which only provides little protection. The headrest prevents your child from slipping out of the shoulder straps in an accident. The harness holds the chest clip high above the shoulders.

It is important to keep in mind that there have been ZERO documented instances of children in forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the seat. This happens when a child's feet fly upwards and get caught against the back of the seat, putting enormous pressure on the leg bones. There's  portable infant car seat pushchairsandprams  to expose your child to the risk of this.

There are a variety of programs across the country for parents who qualify to get discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure that your child is in a safe car seat before they outgrow of it. It can be used for a number of years.

The majority of new infant car seats come with a base that they can click into and out of, which makes them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is particularly useful for families with small children because you can keep the car seat in place and ready for use even if you change vehicles.

Find the center of the car seat and measure with the aid of a tape. Many items, such as the blade of a house key or the length of earbuds with wireless technology, are about 1.5 inches long and can be used to test for this space. Review the instructions for your car seat and the owner's manual of your vehicle to determine if the angle can be adjusted to eliminate the space.

2. Harness Position

In the infant car seats, bouncers, swings strollers, and other equipment for children, infants and preemies may be in a dangerous position with their chests and chins touching. In the event of a collision the children could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. To prevent this from happening, make sure that the straps on your shoulder begin a little below and then come upwards over the shoulders of the child and ensure that you tighten them. The straps should be tight enough to allow you to squeeze any fabric that is not tight enough - this is called the Pinch Test. Overly bulky outer layers such as winter coats may hinder this, so be sure to remove them before buckling your child in their seat.

The chest clip is made to protect against a fall, but it can compress the neck of the child if it's too low or are not tight enough. It is also essential that the chest strap is not in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be at armpit height.

In the event of a crash rear-facing infants are more likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps need to be able to hold the neck and head of the child. It is essential to put the straps above the shoulders. If the straps fall too low, they could slide through the neck opening of the infant or over their ears. If they are too loose, they can reach the child's face.

Ensure the shoulder straps are in the slots over your child's shoulders and that they fit comfortably. Newborns may require an infant insert (often included with the car seat) to raise their shoulders until they can fit into this slot. Some infant car seats come with angle indicators or adjustors that can help you with this. You can also check the instructions provided with the seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents might be tempted to flip their infant car seat to face forward due to their child's legs getting too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason to do it. The rear-facing position is safer than a forward-facing position because in the event of a crash, the baby's body will tense against the seat, and their spine and neck will be supported. Forward-facing children can suffer serious injuries due to the fact that their bodies are thrown against the vehicle.

Many infant car seats also come with an angle indicator built in to help you ensure the seat is correctly installed. You also need to ensure that your child's head is level against the seat and the harness straps are placed over their shoulders, not under their arms or bent. To check if the harness is too tight, you should be able pinch a small amount of material at your child's shoulder. It is also essential to examine the strap that holds the crotch to be sure that it is at a level with the armpits, rather than at the waist. It is also recommended to read the manual for your infant car seat to ensure you are aware of how to properly use it.

Most manufacturers advise that children sit rear-facing in their car seats until they reach at least one year old or until they reach the weight and height limit of their particular car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for a minimum of two years.

Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle that only has one back seat. This allows you to view your child easily through the rearview mirror without having to bend. Installing the car seat on your driver's side can make it easier to get your child into and out of the seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats, the infant car seat can be installed on either side so long as it's not the airbag's front on the passenger's side. If you have to decide between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, you can put it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

All children who outgrow their infant car seat due to weight and height must be fitted with a booster seat until the seat belt is properly fitted. This is only possible when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats assist in positioning the lap and shoulder belt properly. They can also limit the distance the child's head moves during the crash, which lowers the risk of injuries. Head movement is the main cause of motor vehicle accidents which are the most frequent killers of children ages 4-8.

If a booster is not properly used, the lap portion can be able to slide over the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in an accident. This can be prevented by using a booster with lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding on a child's stomach.

A lot of boosters have handles that are small and armrests or guide slots that help put the lapbelt flat on a child's top legs. This ensures that the lap belt begins and stays on the child's sturdy hip bones instead of moving up into their stomachs during a crash.

Certain booster seats are designed with a seat belt locking mechanism to ensure that the belt is in place when the child is in it, and this can help in preventing the lap belt from moving over the abdomen of a child. This may also help keep the belt from being pulled across a child's face, which could lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction as and neck strain.