10 Life Lessons We Can Learn From Infant Car Seat Uk
Choosing an Infant Car Seat in the UK Car seat laws in the UK oblige all children to use a car seat for their children until they reach the age of a certain height or age. Selecting the right car seat is crucial to ensure your child's safety. Which?, the consumer expert, has rated this rearward-facing seat as one of the top. It features a cozy baby-hugg insert and a heightened G-Cell side impact protection. It has a rotation feature that allows you adjust the seat to the ideal position for your vehicle. Rear-facing Rear-facing infant car seats are made to protect babies from head and neck injuries that can result from a crash. Children who are seated forward-facing in car seats are seven-times more likely to sustain serious injuries than children who are rear-facing. Rear-facing car seats for infants are generally placed in the back of the car and are smaller and less heavy. It is recommended to use a rear facing infant car seat until the child is outgrowing it or has reached the weight or height limits for forward-facing use. There are two types: convertible car seat and all-in-one car seats. Both are safe, but they each have their own advantages and drawbacks. Convertible car seats are facing the rear and can be changed to face forward once your child is old enough. All-in-one car seats have a higher rear-facing weight and height limits so that your child can safely ride in the seat for longer period of time. Be certain that the rear-facing car seats you choose for your baby fit your vehicle and are correctly installed. The instructions for installing the seat on labels of the manufacturer and in the owner's manual for your vehicle. Test the straps on the seat to ensure that they are tight and secure. Also, make sure that your child doesn't get a fold on the harness material. Avoid wearing clothes that are bulky and can cause problems for straps. Rear-facing seats are safer for infants than forward-facing seats, as the force of the crash is more effectively dissipated when the infant is in the seat. Car seats that face the rear offer greater protection for infants who are ejected during a collision on the side. If your child has outgrown their rear-facing infant car seat you might want to think about switching to a seat which has a high rearward-facing weight limit and size. Many convertible car seats come with rear-facing limits that let your child use the seat for more than two years. Forward-facing If your baby is no longer in the rear-facing infant car seat you can flip them to face forward. It is best to wait until your child reaches the weight and height limits before doing this. It's also recommended to speak to your pediatrician about this. Based on the laws of physics, and safety research, children under two are safer in a rear-facing seat. They can sit more comfortably in their seats and are less prone than other passengers to be injured by a belt or an airbag. This is particularly important for infants whose bones and necks are still developing. According to the iSize guidelines, toddlers and infants must be rear-facing for at least 12 months or 20 pounds. Some experts suggest waiting even longer. If your child is growing out of the rear-facing car seat you can move them to a car seat that is convertible or comes with a five-point safety harness. These seats are designed to cradle your growing child and are often equipped with a movable newborn positioner. They are available with a base so they can be used in multiple vehicles and you can buy additional bases if you own more than one vehicle. For children who weigh up to 20 pounds, it's recommended that a car seat has a headrest. The headrest should be slightly angled back, not more than 300 degrees vertical, and should be able to cover the baby's ears. If the headrest is not correctly angled back it could entrap the baby's airway. Additionally the car seat should not be placed at an angle that can cause a herniated disc to form in the spine. In the event of a crash, it is possible for children to be thrown from the car seat facing forward. This could result in death. You can put a rolled up pillow or towel under the base of the car seat to help it recline. This will help keep your child more secure in the vehicle. In addition to preventing children from falling out of their seats There is evidence that rear-facing car seats can reduce leg injuries in collisions. In a frontal crash the legs of a baby facing forward can fly up, hitting the rear of the car seat. This could cause serious injury. In a rearward-facing seat the child's leg won't strike the seat and the harness will absorb the impact. This greatly reduces the risk of injury. Multi-group There are a variety of choices for infant car seats. However, not all will suit your baby's requirements. A multi-group infant car seat can accommodate your baby from birth until around the age of four, and is compatible with virtually every pram. This type of car seat will have a harness that protects your child, and it is designed to grow with your child with features such as an adjustable headrest as well as side impact wings. Some of these seats are designed to be rotated in the vehicle which allows you to alter their position and give your child a better view of the road ahead. A new generation of infant car seats is built around height rather than weight, making them safer for infants. This type of car seats, referred to as iSize or R129 in the UK, are EU-approved and must meet stringent safety standards to be sold. The label will display a capital āEā in a circle, along with the letters āR129ā. These seats are also easier to install, and provide better protection against side impacts. Group 1 and 0 car seats are rear-facing until your infant is at least 9kg or more, after which they can be turned to face forward. They will be fitted with a harness and will be secured using either Isofix connections or the car seatbelt and tethers. Some have a rotating feature, which allows you to move the car seat from one vehicle to the next without the need for a belt of the car. Others can be fitted on most prams. A group 1/2/3 seat can keep your child safe until they reach the age of 11 and are 105cm tall or until you decide to transform it into an adult booster. Which is the best car seat? as the most secure. They have a wide design with a recline feature that is one-handed and no less than 12 headrest positions. Some of them are also designed for travel, and come with a lightweight carry handle that's designed to fit easily in the suitcase. Rotation function The rotation function of the infant car seat is among its most significant features. It allows the portion of the seat which holds the baby to spin on a separate base, making it easier for parents to move the child in and out of the car. This feature is especially helpful when the car has a trunk or backseat that is small. It can also make it easier to install a seat in another vehicle. The rotation feature can also make it easier to access the harness buckles without disturbing the sleeping baby, which is a real godsend if you're juggling toddlers while trying to get them into the car. Some seats with a rotating feature aren't able to achieve this goal. It's worth reading online reviews of specific models to determine how they perform. infant car seat cheap to consider is whether the seat can be used with a stroller. Many brands offer this combination, which is known as a travel system, and is ideal for parents who want one unit that can be used throughout all stages of their child's life. It's an excellent option for families who have multiple cars because they can easily change between them without disturbing their baby. Car seats for infants are designed to be used by babies and infants up to one year of age. They are classified into four groups, Group 0, 1, 2 and 3. The Group 0 car seat, also referred to as carrycots or infant seats, keeps the child facing rearward and is attached to the vehicle using a standard seatbelt or ISOFIX fitting. The Group 1 infant car seat is usually attached to the base of the vehicle using LATCH. This system connects most types of car seats. A convertible car seat, or group 3, is one that adapts to your child from birth to about four years old. These seats have a higher weight and height limit, as well as an adjustable headrest with padding that helps protect the child in an accident. They also have an adjustable wedge for support and a luxury carry handle, so that the seat can also double as a portable carrier.