Baby Seat Safety Buying the right baby seat for your child or infant with baby seat safety in mind can be a confusing experience. There are many models and brand on the market today. How do you choose an infant car seat that is both effective in protecting your infant, while at the same time providing an appropriate level of comfort and ease of use. These are legitimate concerns that become even more important when you factor in the spate of recalled baby seats/carriages in the last four years. Rest assured, there are good car seats that will provide safety, comfort and ease of use for your infant. The golden rule of thumb is to purchase a car seat with a proven track record and use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Consistent and correct use of the car safety seat is the best way to insure the safety of your infant. This site is a legal information site only. Questions to Consider Several important questions should guide your decision making process when looking for the appropriate car seat/carrier. • Is the car seat the appropriate size and type for your infant? • Is the car seat going to provide comfort for your child? • Is the car seat going to fit in my car, on the appropriate seat (length and width)? • Is it going to fasten securely in my car? • How difficult is it going to be to get a secure, safe fit? • How easy will it be to fasten my child into? • 4 Basic types of Baby Seats Is the car seat the appropriate size and type for your infant? Is the car seat going to provide comfort for your child? Is the car seat going to fit in my car, on the appropriate seat (length and width)? Is it going to fasten securely in my car? How difficult is it going to be to get a secure, safe fit? How easy will it be to fasten my child into? 4 Basic types of Baby Seats Infant car seat—this type of seat is typically for infants who weigh less than 20 pounds and are under one year of age. These types of seats are to be used in a rear-facing position in the back seat. Convertible seat—this seat is initially used as a rear-facing infant seat, similarly to the infant seat above. Once your baby reaches one year of age and at least 20 pounds, the seat converts to a forward-facing seat. The seat can remain in this forward-facing position until your child weighs 40 pounds and is roughly 43 inches tall. Toddler seat—These seats are always placed in the forward-facing position and are suited for children older than one year of age who weigh between 20 and 40 pounds. Booster seat—These seats are meant for children who have outgrown the toddler safety seat. Often times, children want to use a booster seat instead of their toddler seat. However, the booster seat does not provide the same amount of protection as the full-size car seat. Booster seats do good provide protection for children up to roughly 70 pounds. Tips for Buying a Used Baby Car Seat Purchasing a used car seat can be a more cost effective route, while still insuring the protection and safety of your child. There are several considerations to factor in before your buy, however. • Never buy a baby seat that was manufactured prior to January 1, 1981. This was when regulatory agencies required car seats to be made according to more stringent federal safety standards. • Avoid purchasing a baby seat that does not include a label with its manufacturing date included on it. • Avoid buying a car seat that does not clearly show its model number on the side or bottom of the seat. You can check the model number to see whether or not there are safety issues associated with your particular baby car seat. In order to do this, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website-- found in the LINKS section of this website. • Never purchase a car/baby seat that appears to have parts missing or that do not seem to function properly. • Do not use a car seat that has been involved in an automobile crash. Always ask whether a car seat has been involved in an accident when purchasing or receiving a baby seat. Car crashes can place undue stress on the car seat handles and compromise the overall strength of the baby seat. • Because of ever strengthening regulations for car seats, a general rule of thumb is--the newer the car seats, the safer it is. However, always check to make sure that the model baby seat has not had safety issues or been recalled by the NHTSA. Tips for Using a Baby Seat Correctly Unfortunately, many baby seats are installed incorrectly, and/or children are placed incorrectly into the seats. When this occurs, parents are placing their infants at risk for serious injury. The following guidelines are meant for parents and childcare providers to insure the proper installation, safety, and use of their car seats. • Never place a child or infant into a car seat in the front passenger seat of a car equipped with a passenger-side air bag. In the event of an accident and the air bag is deployed, the result can be serious injury or death for the infant. • Always place the baby seat in the back seat of a vehicle. A rear-facing baby seat should never be placed where it can come in contact with an airbag. • Secure the car seat tightly, allowing as little movement as possible at the base of the car seat. • Check to make sure that an infant’s harness straps are running over the child's shoulders. They should sit flat along the infant’s chest. • The harness clip should lie flat at armpit level. • You should not be able to fit more than a finger between the harness strap and the infant’s shoulders. • Make sure that your infant is using the most appropriate type of car seat according to their age and weight. ° For infants up to 1 year and 20 pounds, use a rear-facing seat. ° For infants one year of age and up to 30-40 pounds, use a forward-facing seat. ° For infants weighing more than 30-40 pounds, use a booster seat. http://babyproduct24.com/the-starriser-comfy-is-a-forward-facing-booster-car-seat-that-fits-children-from-30-to-80-pounds/