Wait! My child is too big for their infant seat!

When you get to the point where your child reached the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of the seat for their rear-facing infant seat, they can ride forward-facing in a convertible seat. However, it is best for her to ride rear-facing to the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of her car safety seat. Children should ride in a forward-facing seat with a five point harness until they are least 40 pounds, newer convertible seats are holding children up to 65 pounds. The longer your child can ride in a five point harness for as along as possible.

Most convertible seats are attached through the LATCH system, if your vehicle was manufactured after 2002, you will have LATCH in your vehicle. Convertible car seats are also attached using tether straps. A tether is a strap that attaches to the top of a car safety seat and to an anchor point in your vehicle (see your vehicle owner’s manual to find where the tether anchors are in your vehicle). Tethers give important extra protection by keeping the car safety seat and the child’s head from moving too far forward in a crash or sudden stop. All new cars, minivans, and light trucks have been required to have tether anchors since September 2000. New forward-facing car safety seats come with tethers. For older seats, or if your tether is missing, tether kits are available. Check with the car safety seat manufacturer to find out how you can get a tether if your seat does not have one.

Some of the best convertible car seats are the Britax Boulevard, Britax Marathon, The First Years True Fit, and the Graco My Ride 65. All of these can be found at Babies R Us, or online.

How Do You Install a Car Seat Safely?

Did you know that 7 our of every 10 kids are riding in a car seat that is installed incorrectly? I am going to take the next few blog entries to discuss car seat safety. It is found that so many parents have no idea what kind of car seat to use and how to use it propertly. Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death of children, ages 3-14. However, many of these deaths can be prevented through the proper use of child safety seats. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats can reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers, ages 1-4.

Babies should be in a car seat starting with their first ride home from the hospital. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should ride starting rear-facing. They should remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. There are 2 types of rear-facing car safety seats: infant-only seats and convertible seats.

Infant Seats are the very popular because the actual seat can be taken out of the car without disturbing the baby- and the base stays in the car, the base is what the seat snaps into. The newer infant seats are made to fit children up to 22 pounds and some manufacturers like Chicco and Graco are making infant seats that can safely hold a baby up to 35 pounds. The new Graco Snugride 35 can be seen above.

Convertible car seats can be used rear-facing, then “converted” to forward-facing for older children. This means the seat can be used longer by your child. They are bulkier than infant seats, however, and do not come with carrying handles or a separate base.

Have higher rear-facing weight and height limits than infant-only seats, which makes them ideal for bigger babies. Most people use the infant seat until the child is too heavy for it and then switches to a convertible seat.

When installing a rear facing car seat make sure the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle and that the harness fits the child snugly. Remember, never place a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has a active front passenger air bag. If the air bag inflates, it will hit the back of the car safety seat, right where your baby’s head is, and could cause serious injury or death. If your rear-facing seat has more than one set of harness slots, make sure the harnesses are in the slots at or below your baby’s shoulders.

Be sure you know what kind of seat belts your vehicle has. Some seat belts need locking clips. Locking clips come with all new car safety seats. If you’re not sure, check the owner's manual that came with your vehicle. Locking clips are not needed in most newer vehicles. If you are using a convertible seat in the rear-facing position, make sure the seat belt is routed through the correct belt path. Check the instructions that came with the car safety seat to be sure. If your vehicle was made after 2002, it may come with the LATCH system, which is used to secure car safety seats. Make sure the seat is at the correct angle so your infant’s head does not flop forward. Many seats have angle indicators or adjusters that can help prevent this. Most importantly, be sure the car safety seat is installed tightly. If you can move the seat more than an inch side to side or front to back, it’s not tight enough.

It's always a good idea to visit a certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician to double check your car seat.