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Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

When children have outgrown their infant car seats, they can move to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats can be used rear or forward-facing but they need to meet certain age and weight requirements.

Car seats should never be placed in front of a vehicle seat equipped with airbags, as the force of the air bag can be lethal for babies and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason for this is quite simple If a collision occurs, the child could have their head struck by an airbag, especially if they are in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a child.

Infant car seats are only designed to be rearward-facing. In a crash the back of the seat will rest against the back of your vehicle seat. This is the best car seats for newborns uk security for the infant.

In addition, the rear-facing car seat protects the head and neck of your child better than a forward-facing seat which offers only a small amount of head and neck protection. The headrest keeps your child from falling off the shoulder straps in an accident. The harness holds the chest clip up above the shoulders.

It's important to note that there are ZERO known instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the front seat. This happens when children's feet fly upwards and are sucked into the seat's back and put a great deal of pressure on the bones of the legs. There's no reason to put your child at risk of this.

There are numerous programs across the country for qualifying parents to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great way to get your child into an appropriate car seat before they grow out of it and can be used in a safe way for many years.

The base of many newer infant car seat models is designed to be removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is particularly useful for families with young children because you can keep the car seat in place and ready for use even when you change vehicles.

Before you buckle your child in check if the car seat back will touch the car seat's back by measuring the center of the seat and measuring it using a tape measure. Many items, such as the blade of a house key, or the length of earbuds that are wireless are approximately 1.5 inches long and can be used to determine this space. After that, you should check the car seat's instructions and vehicle owner's manual to see whether you can adjust the angle of the car seat to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

Preemies and infants often get into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest position in infant car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other children's equipment. In a crash, they may be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the harness straps that are loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are set just below the shoulders of the child, and then they will be able to rise over their shoulders. Make sure they are tight to prevent this. The straps must be secure enough to hold the excess fabric to each other. This is called the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other bulky outer layers could interfere with the Pinch Test, so be sure to remove them before you buckle your child into their seat.

The chest clip is designed for a crash, however it can compress the child's neck if it is too low or are loose. The chest clip should not be in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash who are rear-facing will likely slide off the seat. The harness straps must be capable of supporting the child's neck and head. It is essential to put the straps over the shoulders. If the straps aren't high enough, they may slide over the baby's ears or go through the opening in their neck, and if they're too loose they can move towards the lightweight baby car seat's nose.

Make sure that the shoulder straps are over your child's shoulders, and that they fit snugly. Newborns may require an infant insert (often included with the car seat), to raise their shoulders so they reach this slot. Some infant car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors that aid in this process and you should always read the instructions included with the seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

Some parents may be tempted by the fact that their child's legs are getting shorter in the seat facing rearwards, however there is no reason to do this. The rear-facing position is much safer than a forward-facing position because in the event of a crash, the baby's body will press against the seat, and their spine and neck will be supported. Forward-facing children are more susceptible to serious injuries because their bodies are thrown into the vehicle.

In addition, many infant car seats have an integrated angle indicator so you can be sure the seat is installed correctly. You also need to make sure your child's head is level against the seat and the harness straps are placed over their shoulders, not beneath their arms or twisted. You can pinch a little bit of material on their shoulder to confirm whether the harness is secure enough. Check the crotch strap and ensure that it is at the same level as the armpits, and not at the waist. It is also a good idea to review the manual of your infant car seat so you know the proper way to use it for your child.

Most manufacturers suggest that children ride rear-facing until they're at least one year old or until they reach their car seat's weight and height limits. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for at least two years.

If you have a vehicle that has only one back seat, install the infant car seat in the middle of the vehicle so you can easily see your child through your rearview mirror without needing to lean over. It's also helpful to place the car seat on the driver's side so you don't have to walk the way around your car every time you need to take your child into or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats the infant car seat can be placed on either side so long as it's not in the airbag's front on the passenger side. If you must choose between installing an Infant Car Seat In Front Seat car seat on either the left or right side of your vehicle, you can install it on the driver’s side.

4. Booster Seats

All children who exceed the size of their infant car seat due to weight and height should use a booster seat until the seat belt is fitted properly. This can only happen if they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the recommendations of the manufacturer of the seat for exact measurements).

Booster seats can assist in positioning the shoulder and lap belts correctly. Booster seats also help reduce the amount that a child's neck moves during a collision, reducing the chance of injury. Head movement is the primary cause of motor vehicle crashes that are the top rated baby car seats killers of children ages 4-8.

If the booster is not used correctly the lap part of the belt could slide up to the abdomen of a child and cause major injuries in an accident. This can be avoided by using a belt guide on the booster to stop the lap belt from sliding onto a child's stomach, or climbing over armrests.

Many boosters have small handles and armrests or guide slots to help place the lap belt low and flat on the child's upper legs. This ensures that the lap belt is placed and stays on the child's sturdy hip bones instead of being pushed up into their stomachs during a crash.

Some booster seats have an automatic seatbelt lock mechanism that secures the seatbelt when a child is seated in them. This can prevent the lapbelt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This can prevent the seatbelt from being pulled over a child’s face. This could lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction, as well as neck strain.