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https://www.pushchairsandprams.uk/products/maxi-cosi-tobi-toddler-car-seat-group-1

Car Seats Newborn Safety Tips Designed for newborns infant car seats click into and out of a base that can remain in the vehicle They are padded and can use tightly rolled blankets for head and neck support Preterm babies may experience bouts of apnea bradycardia or oxygen desaturation in the car seat NICU staff often test them for 90 minutes or so in the car to ensure they pass Place rear facing infant car seat including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advise keeping children rearfacing in their infant car seats until they are two years old or up to their vehicles highest height or weight limit Research has shown that rearfacing infants are 71 percent less likely to sustain neck injuries in the event of a car crash when compared to forwardfacing babies and toddlers Many infant car seats come with bases that snap into your car and then lock in and out for easy transportation of your child When installing the infant car seat on the base make sure the base is at a safe angle by checking the builtin indicator or adjustor If the base isnt at a safe angle push down firmly on the center of the base to pull out any slack in either the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children LATCH strap or seat belt connection Once youve positioned the infant car seat on the base place your baby inside and buckle the harness straps over their shoulders The harness slots are usually located at or above your childs shoulder level so be sure to use the right slot and dont forget to buckle the chest clip Its best to dress your baby in thin layers Bulky clothing like winter coats or snowsuits can compress in a crash and leave the harness straps too loose to restrain your child If the harness straps are loose place tightly rolled blankets in between the strap and your babys body for head and neck support If you dont have a spot to stand behind the car seat while pulling on the latch or seat belt try putting one hand on the center of the base while using the other hand to pull the buckle or latch strap until its tight If you have someone else available they can also help by holding the base to keep it from shaking side to side and front to back while you pull Once your child outgrows their infant car seat its time to switch to a convertible or allinone car seat configured as a rearfacing seat Its important to keep your child in a rearfacing car seat with a harness and tether until they reach their vehicles highest height or weight limit Tighten the Harness Straps A car seat is only as safe as the straps that hold it In order to tighten a harness you should always follow the manufacturers directions to remove any slack and then do the pinch test This test is simple enough you just secure the straps over your child and then try to grab a piece of the seatbelt fabric at their collarbone with your fingers If you cant do this the harness is not tight enough Many infant car seats have firm padding that can help improve the fit of a small baby This padding lifts the child up and helps them reach the lowest shoulder strap slots which are safer for newborns The pad can also prevent the chest clip from hitting the soft parts of a babys neck or throat However it is important to check the manufacturers instructions before removing any infant inserts as this can cause the chest clip to be positioned too high and expose your baby to an increased risk of being ejected from the car seat in a crash Another common issue with car seat straps is that they are not evenly tightened This can be caused by a few things The most common reason is that a babys body has been turned to one side scooted forward or shifted to the other side which can cause one side of the harness to become looser than the other Its also a good idea to avoid putting anything thicker than a sweatshirt between your child and the harness straps as this can make them feel uncomfortable or cause a gap that could allow them to slip out of the seat in a crash Some infant car seats have a harness adjuster that allows parents to easily adjust the strap height from the back of the seat This is often easier to use than the rethread type of harness that requires parents to uninstall and reinstall the car seat in order to adjust the straps However no matter what type of harness adjuster a car seat has its still important to pull the straps evenly from the front and back of the seat to ensure they are both equally tightened Do the Pinch Test Car seat testing can be one of the last steps that NICU babies need to go home but it doesnt have to be scary Its important to make sure babys harness is tight enough and that they are sitting at the correct angle The pinch test is a good way to check for these factors You can do this by placing your child in their car seat and positioning the chest clip at armpit level Try to pinch the strap webbing at their collarbone or shoulder if you can its too loose and needs to be tightened You can also pinch the crotch strap to see if there is too much space between the crotch buckle and their diaper as this can lead to slouching in the seat over time causing dangerous chintochest positioning If your infant seat allows it you can try a crotch roll a rolled washcloth placed between baby and the crotch buckle to prevent this from happening When you are ready to do the pinch test be sure baby is wellfed and isnt wearing a jacket or snowsuit as this can increase the amount of space between their back and the seat making it harder to pass the pinch test You should also avoid putting baby in their car seat while they are sleeping as this can affect their breathing and heart rate If you are able to ask if the hospital has a certified child passenger safety technician CPST on staff so they can do your babys car seat test This will give you the opportunity to ask any questions about your childs specific seat so you know how to use it properly Ask if you can be present when the test starts too this will help to ensure that your child is comfortable and happy while they are being tested Dress Your Baby During the winter its important to keep your baby warm when they ride in their infant car seat Its also important to remember that the bulky clothing you might put on them could interfere with how the car seats harness works to hold them in place increasing your babys risk of injury in a crash Dressing your newborn in thin layers is usually best especially when theyre swaddled Once theyre over the swaddling stage you can add extra warmth with blankets or even a poncho that goes over their harness straps after theyre buckled in Avoid products that line the car seat and act as sleeping bags which can be unsafe and prevent you from tightening your infants harness straps properly A crotch roll can help keep your newborn warm and safe in their infant car seat but make sure you use it correctly To do this roll a washcloth into a tight roll and insert it between the crotch buckle webbing and your childs bottom This will keep their legs warm and it helps reduce the chance of their feet getting cold While it may seem counterintuitive to remove a snowsuit or jacket before strapping your baby into their car seat its important to do so The fluffy material can compress in a crash and leave too much wiggle room between your babys body and their harness straps which increases the risk of injury Once your child outgrows their infant car seat theyll need a booster seat until theyre old enough to safely ride in a frontfacing or backfacing car seat without a harness While most children dont outgrow their infant car seats until theyre between nine months and a year you can easily tell its time to upgrade when the top of your childs head is within an inch of the seats highest position Its also important to keep your infant warm in their booster seat which isnt a convertible car seat You can try using a blanket over the shoulder straps to prevent them from slipping or a poncho that covers the chest clip at armpit level Putting a small layer of fleece over the shoulder straps can also help keep them warm and safe in their booster seat