The first things most parents think about in the winter is, “How do I keep my baby warm?” Often they buy a thick snow suit or coat, and/or a blanket style bunting that straps into the car seat with your child.
But is this safe?
Car seat experts agree that bulky clothing like snow suits, buntings, and heavy winter coats are not safe to use with a car seat. They can and have cause ejection, a life threatening situation to anyone especially an infant.
All manufactures now state in their manuals that bulky clothing should not be worn while in the car seat, and you should never add any after market products. Anything from a head support that goes under the baby to the comfy pads that go around the straps can be an added danger easily avoided.
What is recommended by the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is that to keep your child warm you place blankets over your child once they are in the seat, or place their arms through their coat backwards.
An infant or child should be dressed in the same amount of clothing as the parent if over 12 months, and 1 extra thin layer if under 12 months. In bellow zero temperatures a child can remain safely for over 5 minutes fully clothed without ill side effects at all. Plenty of time to restrain your child and have them fully covered with a blanket for warmth. Most of your body heat is lost through your head and your feet. Ensure you child has a warm hat, socks and shoes. If your child is under 2 consider 2 pairs of thick socks, or socks and soft soled shoes.
If your child is in need of additional support around their head or crotch a rolled up receiving blanket around their head serves as a great safe head support option. For their crotch if their is a gap, which their often is with newborns, you can roll up a washcloth and place it between the baby and the buckle.
Consider other safe ways to keep your child warm while traveling in a vehicle with a car seat. Dress in layers. Put your infant or child in an undershirt or onesie in addition to a warm sweater or zip up jacket. Once out of the vehicle a coat and be added, or a the child can be wrapped in a warm blanket.
If you need to see it yourself, get your baby all dressed up in their snow gear ready to go outside and play. Put them in the car seat. Adjust the straps so they are snug with the required 2 finger test. Now remove your child without adjusting the straps. Take off their heavy snow gear and place them back into the seat. If you are able to fit more than 2 fingers under the straps they are too loose and your child can be ejected. The heavy clothing only gives the illusion that the straps fit snug but in a car crash with the weight of the baby times the speed your vehicle is moving and how hard you are hit or come to a stop the coat can easily compress flat and leave your child flying out of their car seat.
Please keep this in mind when getting your child ready for winter. And don’t take my word for it. There is much available information out there. Do some research and find what works for you. You might even find the snuggie a great option for your family.
http://www.safercar.gov
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org
http://www.mayoclinic.com
http://www.parents.com
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/
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