When do infants change car seats

At Consumer Reports, I've found the perfect blend for my love of injury biomechanics, forensics, and kids as an automotive safety engineer for child passenger safety. For me there's no greater reward than helping families keep their little ones safe and coming home to put my advice into practice with my own precious little boy. Between church activities, my big Indian family, and exploring new places with the hubby and baby—my life and my heart are full.

We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. Deciding When It's Time to Upgrade Your Child's Car Seat There are plenty of car-seat deals and trade-in events out there, but be careful about making the switch too soon.

By Emily A. Thomas, PhD. Published February 6, Updated September 7, Shopping for car seats? Emily A. Thomas, PhD At Consumer Reports, I've found the perfect blend for my love of injury biomechanics, forensics, and kids as an automotive safety engineer for child passenger safety.

Sharing is Nice. Yes, send me a copy of this email. Follow manufacturer directions for cleaning car seats. Cleaning but not disinfecting is usually permitted. That's because disinfectant products may decrease the protection provided by the seat and harness. Although the AAP is not a testing or standard-setting organization, this article sets forth the AAP recommendations based on the peer-reviewed literature available at the time of its publication and sets forth some of the factors that parents should consider before selecting and using a car seat.

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Find a Pediatrician. Text Size. Page Content. Types of car seats at a glance: This chart is a quick guide on where to start your search. Types of rear-facing seats Three types of rear-facing seats are available: rear-facing—only , convertible, and all-in-one. Rear-facing—only seats Are used for infants up to 22 to 35 pounds and 26 to 35 inches, depending on the model.

Are small and have carrying handles. Usually come with a base that can be left in the car. Parents can buy more than one base for additional vehicles. This means the seat can be used longer by your child. Convertible seats are bulkier than infant seats, however, and they do not come with carrying handles or separate bases and are designed to stay in the car. Many have higher limits in rear-facing weight up to 40—50 pounds and height than those of rear-facing— only seats, a feature that makes convertible seats ideal for bigger babies and toddlers.

Have a 5-point harness that attaches at the shoulders, at the hips, and between the legs. Should be used only for a child's travel not sleeping, feeding, or any other use outside the vehicle. All-in-one seats used rear facing Can be used rear facing, forward facing, or as a belt- positioning booster. This means the seat may be used longer by your child as your child grows. Are often bigger in size, so it is important to check that they fit in the vehicle while they are rear facing.

Do not have the convenience of a carrying handle or separate base; however, they may have higher limits in rear-facing weight up to 40—50 pounds and height than those of rear-facing—only seats, a feature that makes all-in-one seats ideal for bigger babies and toddlers. Installation tips for rear-facing seats Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat. When using a rear-facing seat, keep the following tips in mind: Place the harnesses in your rear-facing seat in slots that are at or below your child's shoulders.

Ensure that the harness is snug you cannot pinch any slack between your fingers when testing the harness straps over the child's shoulders and that the chest clip is placed at the center of the chest, even with your child's armpits. Make sure the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle with either lower anchors or a locked seat belt. Many car safety seats have an integrated lock-off system to keep the seat belt locked. If your seat has one, follow the manufacturer's recommendations on how to use it.

If you can move the seat at the belt path more than an inch side to side or front to back, it's not tight enough. Never place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active front passenger airbag. If the airbag inflates, it will hit the back of the car safety seat, right against your child's head, and could cause serious injury or death. If you are using a convertible or all-in-one seat in the rear-facing position, make sure the seat belt or lower anchor webbing is routed through the correct belt path.

Check the instructions that came with the car safety seat to be sure. Make sure the seat is at the correct angle so your child's head does not flop forward. Check the instructions to find out the correct angle for your seat and how to adjust the angle if needed.

All rear-facing seats have built-in recline indicators. Check the car safety seat instructions and vehicle owner's manual about whether the car safety seat may contact the back of the vehicle seat in front of it. Still having trouble? Check with a certified CPST in your area who can help. Common questions What if my child's feet touch the back of the vehicle seat? This is a very common concern of parents, but it should cause them no worry.

Children are very flexible and can always easily find a comfortable position in a rear-facing seat. Injuries to the legs are very rare for children facing the rear.

What do I do if my child slouches down or to the side in the car seat? You can try placing a tightly rolled receiving blanket on both sides of your child. Many manufacturers allow the use of a tightly rolled small diaper or cloth between the crotch strap and your child, if necessary, to prevent slouching. Do not place padding under or behind your child or use any sort of car safety seat insert unless it came with the seat or was made by the manufacturer for use with that specific seat.

Why should I dress my child in thinner layers of clothing before strapping him or her into a car safety seat? Bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, can compress in a crash and leave the straps too loose to restrain your child, leading to increased risk of injury. Ideally, dress your baby in thinner layers and wrap a coat or blanket around your baby over the buckled harness straps if needed.

Do preemies need a special car seat? These include all-in-one seats. Combination seats with harness: Seats can be used forward facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds depending on the model or without the harness as a booster up to — pounds, depending on the model. Integrated seats: Some vehicles come with built-in forward-facing seats. Weight and height limits vary. Do not use a built-in seat until your child has reached the highest weight or height allowed for your rear-facing convertible car safety seat.

Travel vests: Vests can be worn by children 22 to pounds and can be an option to traditional forward- facing seats. They are useful for when a vehicle has lap-only seat belts in the rear, for children with certain special needs, or for children whose weight has exceeded that allowed by car safety seats.

These vests usually require use of a top tether. Installation tips for forward-facing seats Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat. To switch a convertible or all-in-one seat from rear-facing to forward-facing: Move the harness shoulder straps to the slots or position that is at or just above your child's shoulders.

Check the instructions that came with the seat to be sure you are positioning the shoulder straps correctly. You may have to adjust the recline angle of the seat so that it sits more upright in your vehicle. Check the instructions to be sure. If using a seat belt, make sure it runs through the forward-facing belt path be sure to follow car safety seat instructions and that the seat belt is locked and tightened. Many car safety seats have an integrated lock-off to keep the seat belt locked.

If using the lower anchors, make sure that the weight of your child plus the weight of the seat does not exceed 65 pounds. A convertible car seat —also referred to as a toddler seat—is designed to face either backward or forward in the car. Though it can be used either way, experts recommend that a convertible seat be used in rear-facing mode for as long as possible. The AAP's updated recommendation agrees. New York, Nebraska, and Virginia will implement the same requirements in Experts are still trying to determine the optimal age for turning a child from rear to forward facing.

Although in there was a retraction of one of the studies that was the basis for the extended rear-facing recommendation, most experts continue to believe that rear facing for a longer time is safer.

Those we talked to for our car seat guides suggested keeping a child sitting rear-facing past the age of 2 for increased safety, and pediatricians and CPST instructors such as Dr. Benjamin Hoffman recommend keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible, until they outgrow the rear-facing position.

That said, a child has outgrown a rear-facing position in a convertible car seat when either of the following happens:.