Child Safety Seat Guide
By Rochelle Caviness
Features You Should Look For When Buying a Child Safety Seat
By law, all child safety seats must meet specific safety standards. There are, however, additional features that you may want to look for when buying a seat.
- Harnesses – car seats come with a variety of harness options. For infants, a five-point harness system will offer the most protection.
- Harness slots – a seat that comes with more than one harness slot will allow you to adjust the seat to fit your baby as he grows, thereby extending the usefulness of the seat.
- Detachable base – many infant seats can be detached from the base that is permanently mounted in the vehicle. Often the seats have handles that allow you to use it as a type of traveling bassinet. Often these detachable seats can be attached to shopping carts.
- Child Safety Seat Compatibility - Check to see if the safety seat you are considering buying will fit into your car. Not all seats fit into all vehicles. You can check with the vehicle or child safety seat manufacturer to determine if a particular seat will fit into your car. Alternatively, you can ask the store to allow you try out the safety seat to see if it will fit in your car.
- Child Safety Seat Anchorage Systems. If buying an older car seat, or if you are planning on buying a new car, you should be aware that in 1999 the Uniform child Restraint Anchorage Systems law was passed. By September 1, 2002, all vehicles (except convertibles) will come equipped with both top and bottom mounted anchors to which child safety seats can be attached. Newer car seats are being manufactured with tethers that are made to attach to these permanent anchors.
Installation:
Tragically, half of all child safety seats are installed incorrectly. Make sure that you read and follow the installation instructions that came with the child safety seat. Also check your vehicle owner's manuals for any special instructions that there might be concerning installation of the safety seats for your make and model of vehicle.
- After installing the safety seat, have the installation checked by a Certified Child Seat Technician. Your local police or fire department should have a member that is certified to the installation.
- Children under the age of twelve should never ride in the front seat. Therefore, all child safety seats should be installed in the rear passenger seat.
Which seat is best?
When buying a child safety seat, you want to be sure to get one that 'fits' your child's age and weight. This will mean that as your baby grows, you will need to buy different car seats. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is no such thing as 'one size fits all' when it comes to car seats.
Rear Facing Seats:
Infants less than one year old must always be placed in a rear facing safety seat. Most rear facing car seats are only designed for infants that weigh up to twenty pounds.
- If you use an infant car bed, it should be placed in the center of the back seat and the baby should be placed in the bed facing the back of the car with its head centered front to back. Never place a baby in an infant car bed with his head facing a door.
Convertible Seats
If your infant is less than a year old but weighs more than 20 pounds, he still needs to be placed in a rear-facing seat. There are manufacturers that make rear facing seats that are designed to be used with infants up to thirty pounds. Many of these higher weight rear-facing seats can be converted to a front facing seat when the child is older. Convertible seats should not be used with newborns.
Front Facing Car Seats
These are designed for use with children over one year old, and who weighs between 20-40 pounds.
Built-in Child Seats:
Many vehicles are now being sold with a built-in child safety seat. In most cases, these seats are designed to be used with children over the age of one year, and who weighs more than 20 pounds. Therefore, they are not suitable for infants.
Recalls
Your best means of being notified of a recall is to fill out the registration card that comes with the seat. In case of a recall, you will be sent a letter telling you how to get the car seat fixed or replaced.
The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only.
Always consult your doctor for medical advice.
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