Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
As children outgrow their infant car seats they can transition to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats can be used rear-facing or forward-facing but they need to meet certain weight and age specifications.
Car seats should never be placed in front of a seat with airbags, since the force of the air bag can be lethal for children and babies.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents wonder if the infant car seat could be placed on top of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason is simple: When an accident occurs the child's head may be hit by an airbag if in the front seat. The airbag could injure or even kill a child.
Infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing. The backrest of the seat is positioned against the rear of the car seat in the event of a collision, ensuring the best protection for your infant.
A rear-facing car seats protects your child's neck and head more effectively than a front-facing one that offers only the most basic protection. The headrest stops your child from slipping off the shoulder straps during an accident. The harness keeps the chest clip up above the shoulders.
It's important to remember that there are ZERO instances of children in car seats that face forwards breaking their legs after hitting the back of the front vehicle seat. This happens when children's feet fly upwards and get trapped against the back of the seat, putting tremendous stress on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk for this.
There are numerous programs across the country for parents who qualify to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a secure car seat before they get out of it. It can be used for a number of years.
The base of many newer infant car seat models is designed to be removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is particularly useful for families with small children as it allows you to keep the car seat installed and ready to go even if you change vehicles.
Find the center of the vehicle seat and measure it with a tape. This area can be checked using a variety of objects, including the blade of a key, or the length wireless earbuds. Then, check the car seat's instructions and vehicle owner's manual to see whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to remove the space.
2. Harness Position
Newborns and preemies often fall into a dangerous chest-to-chin position in infant car seats, bouncy seats, swings, strollers and other toys for children. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by harness straps that are loose or not placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are set just a little below the shoulders of the child and then come up over their shoulders. Make sure they are tight to prevent this. The straps should be snug enough to be able to pinch any excess fabric together which is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers could interfere with the Pinch Test, so take them off them before you buckle your child into their seat.
The chest clip is designed to break during an accident, but it could be compressed on the throat of a child in the event that it's too high or if the chest straps are loose. The chest clip should not be located in the neck opening. Instead it should be located at the armpit level.
In the event of a crash who are rear-facing will likely slide down the seat. The harness straps must be capable of supporting the head and neck of the child. It is important to place the straps above the shoulders. If the straps are too low, they could slide through the opening in the neck of the infant or over their ears. If they are too loose, they can be able to reach the face of the child.
Make sure the shoulder straps are over your child's shoulders and that they fit snugly. Infants may require an infant insert (often included in 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 aid you in this. You may also want to check the instructions included in your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
While some parents might be tempted to turn their infant car seat to face forward due to their child's legs being too short in the rear-facing position, there is really no reason to do it. The rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing position because in the event of a collision, the baby's body will press against the seat and their neck and spine will be supported. Children who are facing forwards are thrown backwards by the vehicle and could cause serious injury.
Many infant car seats also come with an angle indicator to ensure that the seat is correctly installed. It is also important to ensure that your child's head rests on the seat flat, and that the straps are over their shoulders rather than under their arms. To check whether the harness is tight you should be able to pinch a small amount of material around your child's shoulder. Examine the crotch strap to make sure it's at the same height as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also a good idea to review your infant car seat manual to be aware of the proper method of using it for your child.
Most manufacturers recommend that children sit rear-facing in their car seats until they reach at least 1 year old, or until they reach the weight and height limit of their particular car seat. Some states have laws that require infants to remain rear-facing until they are two years old.
Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle that only has one back seat. This will allow you to see your child comfortably through the rearview mirror without having to bend. Installing the car seat on the driver's side can make it easier to get your child into and out of the seat.
If your vehicle has two rear seats the infant car seat can be set on either side so long as it's not in the airbag's direction on the passenger's side. If you must choose between installing an infant car seat on either the left or the right side of your vehicle, install it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
Children who have outgrown their infant car seat due to their weight and height will need an additional booster until the car's seat belt fits them properly. This can only happen if they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the guidelines of the manufacturer of your seat for exact measurements).
Booster seats aid in positioning the lap and shoulder belt correctly. Booster seats also help reduce the amount that a child's neck moves during collisions, which reduces the risk of injuries. Head movement is the main cause of motor vehicle accidents which are the most frequent deaths of children aged 4-8.
If a booster is used incorrectly the lap part of the belt can travel up to the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in the event of a crash. This can be avoided by using a booster that has lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding on a child's stomach.
Many boosters are designed with armrests, handles, or guide slots that allow you to position the lap belt low and flat across a child's upper thighs. infant car seat newborn ensures that the lap belt starts and stays on a child's strong hip bones, instead of moving up into their soft stomach area during an accident.
Certain booster seats are designed with a seat belt locking mechanism to ensure that the belt is secure while the child is in it. This can help in preventing the lap belt from slipping up over a child's abdomen. This can help prevent the seatbelt from being pulled upwards over a child's face. This could lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction, and neck strain.