One of the most stressful parts of being a new parent can be the drive home from the hospital, but with these tips, you can make sure your little one is safe in their seat!
1. Always consult and follow both the carseat manual AND the vehicle manual for information on how to safely install your carseat. Depending on how you choose to install your seat, different vehicle manufacturers may have restrictions on where you can safely install your carseat.
2. Always ensure that your infant is rear-facing. Infants do not have the head or neck support to withstand the forces from a crash, and getting into an accident while they are forward facing can be catastrophic. In the state of TN, it is the law that all children under the age of 1 or any child weighing less than 20lbs must be rear facing, however, it is safest to keep your child rear facing until they max out the rear facing limit for weight or height on their carseat.
3. Always ensure that the carseat straps come out of the seat at or below the shoulders of your rear facing child. Once your child is ready to be turned forward facing, the straps should come out of the seat at or just above your child's shoulders.
4. Always perform the "pinch test" when buckling your child into their seat to ensure that their harness is tight enough. To do this, simply buckle your child into their seat, and pinch the harness. The harness should be so snug that you cannot pinch a fold of the harness. It should remain flat against your child's body. In newborns or small infants, you may need to remove the harness covers that come with your seat to ensure a snug fit.
5. Always ensure your child's harness is lying flat against their bodies. You don't want a loose or twisted harness.
6. Always ensure the chest clip is at armpit level, never up around their neck or down over their stomach.
7. As your baby grows, it is important to ensure that they have not grown out of their carseat. The top of child's head should not be closer than 1 inch to the top of their carseat. If it is, it is time to size up! It is also important to note your child's weight, as carseat manufacturers have different weight limits when installing via LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) vs. seatbelt installation.
8. Never allow your baby to spend more than 2 hours in the carseat. This can restrict the baby's airflow. This chance increases if the baby's head falls forward while in the seat.
9. Never put your baby in the carseat with a bulky coat or blanket between them and the harness. This does not allow you to get a proper fit. Buckle your baby in and lay the blanket or coat over the top of the harness.
10. Never use after market items with your carseat. This includes harness strap covers, head support cushions, toys, seatbelt adjusters, or carseat mats (for some carseats-check your carseat's manual for your specific seat) just to name a few. Because these items were not crash tested with your carseat, they may not allow your carseat to perform optimally in a crash and can void the warranty on your seat.
Although these are commonly shared carseat safety tips, please consult a Child Passenger Safety Technician in your area and your carseat manual for specific safety information for on your carseat.
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