Never leave your child alone in or around cars, and lock your vehicle when it is not in use. Any of the following situations can happen when a child is left alone in or around a vehicle. A child can. Always read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for your car safety seat. If you do not have those, write or call the company's customer service department. Staff will ask you for the model number, name of seat, and date of manufacture.
The manufacturer's address and phone number are on a label on the seat. Also, be sure to follow the instructions in your vehicle owner's manual about using car safety seats. Some manufacturers' instructions may be available on their websites. Remember to fill out and mail in the registration card that comes with the car safety seat.
You can also register your seat on the manufacturer's website. It will be important in case the seat is recalled. Follow manufacturer directions for cleaning car seats. Cleaning but not disinfecting is usually permitted. That's because disinfectant products may decrease the protection provided by the seat and harness.
Although the AAP is not a testing or standard-setting organization, this article sets forth the AAP recommendations based on the peer-reviewed literature available at the time of its publication and sets forth some of the factors that parents should consider before selecting and using a car seat.
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Page Content. Types of car seats at a glance: This chart is a quick guide on where to start your search. Types of rear-facing seats Three types of rear-facing seats are available: rear-facing—only , convertible, and all-in-one. Rear-facing—only seats Are used for infants up to 22 to 35 pounds and 26 to 35 inches, depending on the model. Are small and have carrying handles. Usually come with a base that can be left in the car.
Parents can buy more than one base for additional vehicles. This means the seat can be used longer by your child. Convertible seats are bulkier than infant seats, however, and they do not come with carrying handles or separate bases and are designed to stay in the car.
Many have higher limits in rear-facing weight up to 40—50 pounds and height than those of rear-facing— only seats, a feature that makes convertible seats ideal for bigger babies and toddlers. Have a 5-point harness that attaches at the shoulders, at the hips, and between the legs. Should be used only for a child's travel not sleeping, feeding, or any other use outside the vehicle. All-in-one seats used rear facing Can be used rear facing, forward facing, or as a belt- positioning booster.
This means the seat may be used longer by your child as your child grows. Are often bigger in size, so it is important to check that they fit in the vehicle while they are rear facing. Do not have the convenience of a carrying handle or separate base; however, they may have higher limits in rear-facing weight up to 40—50 pounds and height than those of rear-facing—only seats, a feature that makes all-in-one seats ideal for bigger babies and toddlers.
Installation tips for rear-facing seats Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat.
When using a rear-facing seat, keep the following tips in mind: Place the harnesses in your rear-facing seat in slots that are at or below your child's shoulders. Ensure that the harness is snug you cannot pinch any slack between your fingers when testing the harness straps over the child's shoulders and that the chest clip is placed at the center of the chest, even with your child's armpits.
Make sure the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle with either lower anchors or a locked seat belt. Many car safety seats have an integrated lock-off system to keep the seat belt locked.
If your seat has one, follow the manufacturer's recommendations on how to use it. If you can move the seat at the belt path more than an inch side to side or front to back, it's not tight enough. Never place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active front passenger airbag. If the airbag inflates, it will hit the back of the car safety seat, right against your child's head, and could cause serious injury or death.
If you are using a convertible or all-in-one seat in the rear-facing position, make sure the seat belt or lower anchor webbing is routed through the correct belt path.
Check the instructions that came with the car safety seat to be sure. Make sure the seat is at the correct angle so your child's head does not flop forward. Check the instructions to find out the correct angle for your seat and how to adjust the angle if needed.
All rear-facing seats have built-in recline indicators. Check the car safety seat instructions and vehicle owner's manual about whether the car safety seat may contact the back of the vehicle seat in front of it. Still having trouble? Check with a certified CPST in your area who can help.
Common questions What if my child's feet touch the back of the vehicle seat? This is a very common concern of parents, but it should cause them no worry.
Children are very flexible and can always easily find a comfortable position in a rear-facing seat. Injuries to the legs are very rare for children facing the rear. What do I do if my child slouches down or to the side in the car seat?
You can try placing a tightly rolled receiving blanket on both sides of your child. Many manufacturers allow the use of a tightly rolled small diaper or cloth between the crotch strap and your child, if necessary, to prevent slouching. Do not place padding under or behind your child or use any sort of car safety seat insert unless it came with the seat or was made by the manufacturer for use with that specific seat.
Why should I dress my child in thinner layers of clothing before strapping him or her into a car safety seat? Bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, can compress in a crash and leave the straps too loose to restrain your child, leading to increased risk of injury.
Ideally, dress your baby in thinner layers and wrap a coat or blanket around your baby over the buckled harness straps if needed. Do preemies need a special car seat? These include all-in-one seats. Combination seats with harness: Seats can be used forward facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds depending on the model or without the harness as a booster up to — pounds, depending on the model. Integrated seats: Some vehicles come with built-in forward-facing seats.
Weight and height limits vary. They can be installed either with the vehicle belt or for some seats with an additional ISOfix base, both being equally safe when fitted correctly.
We at BeSafe recommend you to use an infant carrier for as long as possible, as it gives you as a parent flexibility and offers your baby great side protection.
However, you might consider changing to a toddler car seat earlier. In these cases, we recommend you to only change to a toddler car seat when your baby can sit by themselves, as toddler car seats typically are more upright and give a bit less stability than infant carriers. Depending on which toddler seat you are choosing, make sure that your child has reached the minimum requirement of that seat. Based on its regulation, this can either be a minimum weight or a minimum height.
If your infant carrier is approved to ECE R, then your seat has a maximum weight based on its approval. This maximum weight must not be exceeded.
But this does not mean that you can always use your infant carrier until you have reached this maximum weight, often babies outgrow their seat in height before they reach the weight.
For this, check step 2! If your infant carrier is approved to UN R, then it has a maximum height given by its approval. This maximum height must not be exceeded. In most cases, the maximum height marks the end of when you can use the seat, but in addition, also check step 2!
Ideally, you should look for toddler seats already some time before your baby has reached this point. Such a movement can happen if the belts are not perfectly tightened. Even though we know that parents do their best to always tighten the belts correctly, it can happen — when in a rush or if the baby moves a lot — that the belts are not as tight as they should be. It can be used from approximately 6 months of age up to approx.
According to the regulation UN R i-Size , children must remain rear facing for at least 15 months, but we at BeSafe recommend to keep your child rear facing until at least 4 years of age, preferably longer.
Some seats in this group can be used both rear or forward facing. We at BeSafe advise you to keep your child rear facing for as long as possible or at least until the age of four. Therefore, we recommend you to move your child to a booster seat only when all three of the following conditions are met:.
If your toddler seat is approved to UN R, you have to stop using your seat once the maximum height of your seat according to its approval is reached. It is time to change to another seat once your child has reached one of the two limitations, whichever comes first.
The AAA has child restraint laws listed alphabetically by state for reference. Because the legal age to ride without a booster is 8, we see a lot of children transitioning out of their booster seat right at their 8th birthday.
Seat belts, when first designed, were made for adults, not children, and therefore do not fit children properly. A proper seat belt fit means the lap belt sits low on the abdomen, across the pelvic bone and hips. It also means the shoulder belt is angled across the chest, collarbone and shoulder. A lap belt across the stomach instead of hips can cause internal abdominal injuries in a crash. Bottom line, keeping children in booster seats longer than 8 years old is a good thing.
There are no specific recommendations for when to transition a child from a high-back booster seat to a no-back booster.
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