Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
As children outgrow their car seats for infants, they can be moved into convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats are available in forward-facing and rear-facing versions, but they must meet certain weight and age requirements.
It is not recommended to place car seats behind airbags on a vehicle seat, as the impact of the airbag could cause fatal injuries to babies and children.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents inquire if the infant car seat can be placed in front of the vehicle driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason for this is quite simple: If a crash happens, the child could have their head hit by an airbag, especially if they are in the front seat. The airbag can injure or even kill a baby.
This is the reason why infant car seat in front seat (
recent mozillabd.science blog post) car seats are made to be rear-facing only. In a crash, the seat's back will be positioned against the back of your vehicle seat. This will provide the most protection for the infant.
A rear-facing car seat safeguards your child's head and neck better than a front-facing
car seats newborn seat, which only provides minimal protection. The headrest also stops the child from falling off the shoulder straps during an accident and the harness will keep the chest clip above your child's shoulders.
It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO documented instances of children in forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they hit the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when a child's feet fly up and trap them against the back of the seat and put a great deal of pressure on the bones of the legs. This is not something you should put your child at risk of.
There are a variety of programs throughout the country that allow parents who qualify to get discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe car seat before they get out of it. It can be used for a number of years.
The majority of the newer infant car seats have an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, making them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is especially beneficial for families with small children as it allows you to keep the car seat in place and ready to go even when you switch vehicles.
Before you buckle your child in make sure that the back of the car seat will touch the vehicle seat's back by finding the middle of the seat and measuring with a tape measure. This area is a test that can be done with a variety of items, including the blade of a key or the length of earbuds wireless. Check the instructions for the car seat as well as the owner's manual of your vehicle to see if the angle can be adjusted to remove the space.
2. Harness Position
Preemies and newborns frequently get into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats swings, strollers and other toys for children. In a crash, they may be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps of the harness that are loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, check that the straps for your shoulders begin a little below and then come up over the child's shoulders and be sure to tighten them. The straps should be tight enough to squeeze the fabric to each other. This is called the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats may hinder this, so make sure to remove them before you buckle your child into their seat.
The chest clip is made for a crash, however it could compress a child's neck if it is too low or if they are loose. It is also essential that the chest clip is not placed in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be positioned at armpit height.
In the event of a crash rear-facing infants are more likely to slide across the seat and the harness straps need to be able to hold the child's neck and head. It is important to place the straps on the shoulders. If the straps are too low they may slide over the baby's ears, or go through the neck opening and if they are too loose, they can slide towards the baby's nose.
Make sure that the shoulder straps are in the slots over your child's shoulders, and that they fit snugly. Newborns may require a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to lift them up to ensure their shoulders are in the slot. Some infant car seats come with angle indicators or adjustors that can assist you in this. You can also refer to the instructions that come in the seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
While some parents might be tempted to turn their
infant car seats on sale car seat around to face forward due to their child's legs getting too short in the rear-facing position, there is really no reason to do so. The rear-facing seat is safer than the forward-facing position because in the event of a collision, the baby's body will be pressed against the seat, and their spine and neck will be supported. Children who are facing forwards are thrown backward against the vehicle and can cause serious injury.
Additionally, many infant
best car seats seats come with a built-in angle indicator so you can make sure that the seat is properly installed. Also, you must make sure your child's head is level against the seat and the harness straps are positioned over their shoulders, not under their arms or bent. You should be able to pinch a tiny bit of fabric at their shoulder to determine whether the harness is secure enough. Check the crotch strap and ensure that it is at the same height as the armpits and not at the waist. You should also read the instruction manual for your infant car seat so that you know how to use it correctly.
Most manufacturers suggest that children remain rear-facing until they're at minimum one year old or until they reach the weight and height limits. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for a minimum of two years.
Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle that only has one back seat. This allows you to view your child clearly through the rearview mirror, without having to bend. Installing the car seat on your driver's side can make it easier to get your child into and out of the seat.
If your vehicle has two back seats, the infant car seat can be installed on either side as long as it's not the airbag's front on the passenger side. However, if you have to decide between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, put it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
Children who have outgrown their infant car seat due to weight and height will need a booster until the vehicle's seat belt is properly fitted. This can only be done when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.
Booster seats are a great way to position the shoulder and lap belts correctly. They can also limit the distance that a child's head moves during a crash, which decreases the chance of injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the most significant cause.
If a booster is not properly used the lap belt can slide across a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries if an accident occurs. This can be avoided by using a booster that has lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from sliding over arm rests or sliding up on a child's belly.
Many boosters come with small handles and armrests or guide slots that help place the lap belt low and flat on the child's upper legs. This ensures that the lap belt is placed and remains on a child's sturdy hip bones instead of moving up into their soft stomach area in the event of an accident.
Some booster seats come with a seatbelt locking mechanism that keeps the seatbelt in place when a child is seated in them. This will help to keep the lap belt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This may also help prevent the belt from being pulled over the face of a child. This could cause hypoxia and airway obstruction, as also neck strain.
