Car seat safety is SO important because vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. As NICU RNs, one of our jobs is to educate families about how an infant should be properly secured in a car seat. We also check all car seats for expiration dates. YES! Car seats expire! If your car seat has been passed down or has previously been used by an older sibling or family member, there is a chance that it’s expired! And insurance is not going to cover you if “heaven forbid” you were to get in an accident. Also, car seats have a minimum & maximum weight limit, so we make sure that it is the proper fit for each baby before they are discharged.
California State law requires that all parents or legal guardians who are driving with their children must make sure they are safe and secure in an approved child passenger safety seat, booster seat, or safety belt.
NEW: Effective January 1, 2017, California law requires that children ride rear facing until age 2 OR 40 pounds OR 40 inches tall. Rear-facing is FIVE TIMES safer than forward-facing! The AAP recommends that children ride rear-facing until the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
~Note: You do not need to purchase the most expensive, fanciest, super luxurious, top-of-the line car seat! Anything that is user friendly will suffice :) Some of my favorite brands include Graco and Evenflo!~
What should the infant look like in the car seat?
The very first thing we tell parents to do is READ THE MANUAL! Parents must always read the car seat manufacturer’s instructions prior to use.
Place the infant all the way back into the seat, with no excess clothing and no added blankets under the infant.
The harness should be AT or BELOW the infant’s shoulders when rear facing.
The harness should be tight, and should not allow any slack. You should NOT be able to pinch excess webbing at the shoulder or hips once the harness is buckled.
Harness retainer clip should be at armpit level.
Base of car seat should be secured so that it will NOT move more than 1 inch side to side when checked at the belt path.
If it did not come with the car seat, do not add it!
PARENTS SHOULD DEMONSTRATE THE ABOVE STEPS ON THEIR OWN. Nurses are NOT required to place an infant in his/her car seat due to legality reasons. We are not responsible for the failure of the car seat or for improper installation/securement.