Rear Facing Infant Car Seat
A rear-facing infant seat suppresses the force of a collision during a crash, and protects your child's neck and head. They also keep your child's legs from hitting the front of the car seat in the event of a crash, which could cause serious injury or even death.
All infants and toddlers should be rear-facing until they reach the weight or height limit set by their car seat's manufacturer. This includes both infant car seats as well as convertible seats.
Rear-facing infant car seats are made for babies and smaller infants.
A rear facing infant car seat is a particular type of child car seat that only has an rear-facing position. These seats are made for babies and infants typically up to 35 pounds. They also have a narrower base than other types of car seats. This makes them suitable for small vehicles and helps to reduce the space needed in the back of the vehicle. Most infant car seats can also be converted into strollers, making traveling with a child much easier.
Preemies and newborns born prior to 37 weeks of gestation are recommended to use rear-facing infant car seats. They are more spacious and offer a better fit than standard car seats which can be difficult for a very small baby to get in and out of. The infant car seat offers more cervical and head support than a forward-facing car seat. This can help to protect infants and small babies in the event of a collision.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children should remain rear-facing until they reach their maximum weight and height for the car seat, or at around two years old. This is based on the fact that there is more time for the child's spine to develop strength in this position, which may protect against spinal injuries. It is also important to note that children and infants are more prone to suffer serious injuries when they are facing forward.
In the event of a crash the rear-facing infant seat absorbs most of the impact's force, thereby protecting the baby's head, neck and spine. When a child sits in a chair that faces towards the front, their heads could be dropped into the console or dashboard of the vehicle, causing serious injury.
Many parents believe that their child is ready to move to the booster seat or forward-facing car seat around age two. This is a big mistake. It is safer for kids to stay rear facing in their
car seats by age seats until they are three or four years old, based on recent studies published in BMJ Injury Prevention. The longer a child is rear-facing in their car seat the more likely it is that their cervical vertebrae will grow and develop ossification.
Installing and removing them is simple.
Most rear-facing infant car seats have a snap-on base which can be removed from your car when not in use. This feature is convenient and allows parents to secure their child in the seat without needing to leave the vehicle, especially during stormy weather or at night when it is more difficult. It is also easy to change between vehicles and let grandparents or other caregivers access to the child's car seat.
When your child has outgrown their car seat for infants in terms of weight and height then it's time to move on to a booster or convertible. It's crucial to keep in mind that children are much safer when they are in a rear-facing car seat for as long as is possible. In fact, it's recommended by many safety experts that children ride rear-facing until they reach their second birthday or at the maximum height and weight limit of the car seat manufacturer.
In a frontal crash, a child riding rear-facing in a car seat absorbs majority of the force in an accident by absorbing them on their head, neck, and the spine. When a child is rear-facing in a car seat the force of crashing may cause their head to be thrown forward leading to serious injuries or death.
If you're concerned about your child's safety facing backwards, try keeping them warm in blankets and avoid putting an untidy one between them or under them. Be cautious not to dress them in bulky outerwear because this can compromise the tightness and fitting of the harness. The last thing to do is make sure that the chest clip is flat against the shoulder and the harness straps have no gaps.
Many experts in child safety believe that if children sit in rear-facing
best car seats for infants seats longer, they'll be five times safer in a crash. This is due to the fact that in a crash, children head are huge for their bodies - may be thrown forward using force that would otherwise be absorbent by their torsos as well as necks. With rear-facing seats, a child's head is protected by the headrest of the seat and cradled by their backs during a crash, protecting them from the most serious injuries.
They are designed to protect your child's neck and head.
In the event of an accident, the neck and spinal cord of a child in a rear-facing car seat are cradled by the back of the seat. In a frontal collision (the most frequent), infants in forward-facing car seats are thrown against the dashboard. This can cause neck injuries, or even death. Infants in rear-facing seats are cradled by the back of their car seats, and their heads are supported and cushioned by the headrest.
Infants also have an easier time breathing when they are positioned in a rear-facing car seat as their chins are placed against their chest. In forward-facing car seats the chin can be pushed down and it can be difficult for children to breathe. In reality, children who lie down in a car seat that is forward-facing are 75% more likely be injured in the head than those who lie down in a rear-facing car seat.
Another crucial aspect to take into consideration is that a
Lightweight baby car seat's spine and brain are still developing, which makes them more vulnerable in the case of a crash. If a collision occurs with an infant who is facing forward the head of the child can hit the buckle on the dashboard or seat belt. This can cause the spinal cord to be stretched and could result in serious injury or even death. This is why it's so important to ensure your child is in a rear-facing car seat for as long as is possible, until they outgrow the weight and height limits of their infant car seat.
Some infant car seats come with a special insert that helps support a baby's head. Once a child has outgrown it, the insert can be removed. Many car seats also have anti-rebound bars or load leg features that absorb impact of a collision. This is crucial because it lessens the impact on your child, and could keep them from being thrown from their seat.
The recommendation of NHTSA is to keep your child in an
infant car seats that swivel car seat that faces rearwards until they reach the weight and height limit for their specific car seat. Then, they can change to a convertible or an all-in-one car seat. These seats can be used rear-facing and then changed to forward-facing as they grow.
The rugs are easy to clean.
If you purchase an infant car seat that connects to a base in your vehicle or a convertible or all-in-one car seat, they're all designed to be quick and easy to remove. In many cases, they click directly into frame strollers and travel systems for errands on the go making life much simpler! They are also easy to clean. Many seats have removable covers and parts that can be cleaned and dried in the washing machine. This is particularly important since children can be messy!
In the case of an accident, the position of the rear will protect a child's neck and head. This is particularly crucial for children who are just starting out. Their heads are full of cartilage, and their spinal cords are more flexible than adult ones. In the event of a crash, their head could move backwards and stretch their spinal cords, leading to serious injuries. Many car safety experts suggest that children stay rear-facing for as long as they can.
It's tempting to switch your child from a front-facing seat to a booster once they are ready, but each switch decreases their safety in the event of a crash. In a front-facing collision, their heads would be thrown forward, and could be hit by the plastic shell of the car seat or the dashboard, increasing the chance of injury. Ideally, children should ride backwards until they reach the weight limit of their rear-facing seat or maximum height or up to 2 years old.
If you're unsure if your child is ready to move from their rear-facing car seat, check with an accredited CPST in your area that can assist. They can assist you in determining the ideal age at which your child can turn around, and make sure they're riding properly and safely in their seat.
Many parents assume that their child is no longer a baby car seat when they reach the maximum rear-facing weight or height limit. But there are a variety of things to take into consideration in addition to the size of your car and your child's unique body shape. A majority of infant car seats come with built-in recline indicators that tell you when your child's head is no longer extended beyond the top of their seat. For more information on safe recline, consult your car seat manual and the owner's manual for your vehicle.