From One Mother to Another: Belt 'Em!
Knowing how to properly install our car seats always baffled me. To this day, I still do not completely know how to install one. My husband had always done it because I didn’t feel confident doing it myself.
The one time I did, my daughter ended up being snug in her seat for two days without “it” being seat belted to the car. I also never really knew when to change from the infant carrier to the toddler seat or booster.
Our pediatrician and local police department recommended keeping them in each stage until they just can’t fit anymore. They are safer and assured to be developed properly for the next seat.
Definitely ask your doctor and read the manual that comes with the car seat but this is a guide for you to follow. If you’d like to have the seat evaluated, call your local police station. They will teach you the proper technique and answer all your questions. Some stations even have specific days set aside for car seat installations.
Stage 1 - Use the infant carrier, (rear-facing- facing the back of the car), until your child is 20 pounds.
Stage 2 - The toddler seat, (forward facing), can be used until they are about 30 pounds or it is too tight to buckle, but keep this seat rear-facing if your child is under 12 months to assure proper development of the neck muscles.
Stage 3 - Use a booster seat, with the regular car seat belt until their weight is at least 80 pounds or they are 8 years old. Be sure that the seat belt is in the locked position and rests over their shoulder, not across their neck. (To ensure the seat belt is locked - after hooking, extend it all the way out and then release it over your child. It will lock automatically. This will keep them stationary while you are driving.)
Stage 4 - At 80 pounds plus, your child can sit without a booster and in the front seat although it is safer in the rear.
Faye
9:49 am on Friday, May 4, 2012
The American Pediatric Association now recommends that children should remain in a rear-facing car seat longer than 12 months--until at least age 2. An article that appeared in the Times last year gave very compelling reasons for following this advice:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/health/policy/22carseat.html?_r=1
Journey
1:03 pm on Friday, May 4, 2012
We kept our daughter rear facing as long as we could. Having no room room for her long legs forced us to go forward facing before she was 2.
Daniel Hubbard
9:27 pm on Friday, May 4, 2012
Thanks Faye. Good to know.
Hot Head
7:51 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012
The biggest issue with child car seats that needs to be addressed is proper disinfection. They are a leading cause of RSV, Ear Infection & Strep. Practically impossible to to properly clean yourself; these MICU's (Mobile infection causing units) carry bacteria ranging from e-coli, to enterococcus, Salmonella, Mold mildew and more.
I have just started a new business in Woodcliff Lake NJ called Hot Head Magic Steam. Among many applications for our service; one specialty is child safety seats.
We clean, sanitize and anti-microbial spray all for $35.00.
Incidentally; the avr cost of one 2-day stay at home for strep; between Dr. Co-Pay; prescription and child care at 9 hrs per day is about $370.00. So the cost of one "prevention" means that we could clean your seat once a month, properly; and your effective cost is about $4.17. By preventing two incidents you would actually save money by safeguarding your child with this new service; heretofore unavailable.
Jodi Ciampa
9:56 am on Friday, May 4, 2012
Thank you so much, Faye, for the further clarification!
Wayne's World
10:38 am on Friday, May 4, 2012
I saw this recommendation when it came out last year. What I want to know is, how the heck can anyone actually do this? At 12 months, both my kids' legs were pushing against the seat back and they were terribly uncomfortable because they couldn't even straighten out their legs. I would assume that even a smaller than average child could go not more than 14 months comfortably. Also, if there is a crash and the kids legs are already bent because there is not enough room between the end of the seat and the seat back, it seems that their legs would be in serious danger from the impact. Aside from being impractical to anatomically impossible, the advice seems misguided to me. If there has to be an impact, it would be so much better to face forward with an open space between the baby seat and the front seats to absorb as much of the impact as possible. The best you can do is have that baby seat anchored in there as tightly as possible and drive as carefully as you can!
packamom
12:29 pm on Friday, May 4, 2012
I was thinking the exact same thing when I read this suggestion! There is NO WAY my son would have fit in a rear facing seat after 12 months. (I barely made it to that point as it was.) By the same token, the 80 lbs/8 yr recommendation for a booster is difficult to follow as well. If I wait until my daughter his 80 lbs, she will probably be in that seat till she is 12! At almost 8 years old, she only weighs about 53 lbs. Does that mean she is in significant danger? I would think height would be a better determining factor, since the most important thing seems to be the correct placement of the seat belt.
Faye
11:03 am on Friday, May 4, 2012
My 19-month-old still fits in a rear-facing seat comfortably, but I can see that it might be different if she were much taller. I'm not an expert, but the article I cited quotes pediatricians who agree that rear-facing is much safer. The part that really convinced me is the fact that EMTs refer to rear-facing seats as "orphan seats," because in a bad crash the baby in the rear-facing seat is often the only one in the car who survives.
J
12:37 pm on Friday, May 4, 2012
My son is almost 3 and 32 lbs. He is not comfortable at all in his current car seat.
Would it be recommended to use a high back or low back booster still for his age
or a larger car seat with the 5 point harness still?
Jenne
1:39 pm on Friday, May 4, 2012
As far as I know, Fair Lawn Police does not offer this service, and there are only two places in the county that do-- about twice a month.
My experience (after a terrifying episode where the infant seat slowly slid over onto its side while belted in) is a) always use the LATCH strap (the one that latches to loops inside the car's seat) whenever possible; when it's not possible, check to be sure the seat belt you are using actually locks, not slides; if the seat belt is not a locking one, use the little metal gadget that comes with the child car seat to immobilize the seat belt.
Jodi Ciampa
7:27 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
Always better to be safe!
hsr
12:04 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2012
It's a no brainer! It's bad enough with the speeds most people travel even locally.
dellmom
11:39 am on Sunday, May 6, 2012
Just to clarify-a Convertible Car Seat (which I believe is the one you refer to as a toddler seat) can be used rear-facing up to 30 pounds and forward facing up to 65 pounds (depending on the model). Many car seat manufactuers have created great seats that hold larger children safely when they have to move out of the infant seat. My son was 33 pounds and 33" tall at 12 months old so we were forced out of the infant seat very early! Of course when he was that age there weren't as many great choices as their are now! Just always check out the car seats manual/instructions to be sure you are in the right position/seat for your childs height, weight and age. Also-the NJ State Police in Totowa offers car seat installation assistance!
james
8:29 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
I've been educated regarding car seats by my daughter who has her certification for car safety. I hope that all the parents who do not want to deal with the devastation of injuries or worse death of their babies, toddlers, and/or children will research, buy and install the correct car seat according to the best guidelines. The inconvience and unhappiness with a child who does not like their car seat rear facing, forward facing or booster is a small price to pay for their safety. As my daughter says dealing with inconvience or unhappiness is a lifelong deal when one has a child. My grandson is over two years old and he is still rear facing and she does a rountine check on his seat every three months. Your most precious cargo will be your child. Please take that into consideration.
Jodi Ciampa
1:10 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
Thank you everyone for the informative comments. I love the feedback! All and all, I think we have the same goal in mind - to keep our children safe while driving!