When we are handed our mewling bundles for the first time, we are told to support their heads and keep their heads back. They have no head control forward or backward, so support their head. Support their head. Keep their head back, but support their head.
After that is drilled into us, it’s no wonder we have parents buying new car seats or rearranging everything to do away with head slump.
For many years, a locking clip was used to lock all lap and shoulder belts when installing a car seat. This was the only available method for locking the belt. Today, there are a number of other options available.
When it comes to child passenger safety, the evolution of caregiver knowledge and state laws has been a slow process. However, more and more caregivers are learning that children need to ride in booster seats longer than they may have originally thought.
New Jersey has become the first state in the nation to pass a law requiring that all children under age two years who are less than 30 pounds be rear facing.
A very common question that Child Passenger Safety Technicians are asked is whether or not new parents can take their baby home in a convertible car seat. They’ve heard that hospitals require a rear facing only seat and they won’t be allowed to go home.
Whether you’re a brand new parent or have a minivan full of Littles, it can never hurt to review the basics of car seat safety. Take a few moments to check all of these in regards to your child’s car seat – it might just save their life.
Anyone who has been doing this kid thing for a while knows how much the world of car seats has changed even in the last decade, let alone the last twenty years. I’m the admin currently with the oldest “Little” so I’ve been at this for a while now. AJ is 11.5 years old now and I’ve been a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) for almost nine years now; so I like to think I have a lot of real world experience when it comes to the changes that have been made over the years.
Parents always worry if their child is in their harnessed seat correctly. Is the harness at the right height? Properly tightened? Chest clip on the chest? No one thinks about boosters much though. Put kid in, buckle, and go. Many boosters are used incorrectly though and in turn do not provide the proper protection.
Last year, we discussed the science behind why rear facing is safer than forward facing for toddlers and children through four years of age. In this edition of the Science Junkie’s Guide, we will look at booster seats and why they are important for children all the way through puberty. We have also briefly touched on how boosters provide a better fit for children who are nearing the legal age or height to no longer need a booster seat.
The focus of the 2014 Child Passenger Safety Week is “Don’t Delay- Register Your Car Seat Today.” Why do car seats need to be registered though? Unfortunately, like anything else that is manufactured, there are sometimes recalls on car seats. Often they are simple and you can continue to use the seat until the fix is available, but occasionally, the recall is stop, do not pass go, do not use your car seat again until fixed. This is obviously important information to have as the faster you can get this information, the better.
