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Car seats and babies important information. Lie-flat & 0+
Recent research has proven that babies under 14lbs in weight and under 3 months old are at extreme risk while sitting in car seats for any length of time at all, it used to be said
2 hours then, 1 hour then ,½ an hour, it is now taboo
To help overcome the risk of oxygen depletion it is important that if you have no option but to travel with your child in a rear facing car seat that you seek professional advice when choosing your car seat.
Although your chosen car seat may be compatible with your vehicle its fitted angle and position may be very harmful to your baby causing oxygen depletion (posture apnoea) this can be extremely dangerous and harmful to your babies health and development and in some cases fatal. In the U.S.A. all newborns take the car seat challenge before leaving hospital, this is to check blood oxygen levels, around 5% of babies fail the challenge and almost all premature babies fail, in a lie flat situation the baby will almost certainly pass this challenge.
The reason why is that when all babies are born they are unable to support their heads or sit upright unaided therefore forcing a baby to sit is a totally unnatural position, it is important that we fully understand and respect this.
When a baby breathes it does so correctly by inflating and deflating its diaphragm (rise and fall), forcing a sitting position does not allow this to happen naturally therefore creating oxygen depletion in the bloodstream.
This coupled with the babies head flopping to one side (posture apnoea) can reduce the oxygen intake by up to 30% this will affect the babies respiratory system, brain and spinal development. digestion and immune system, clearly not a healthy start in life.
Tests that took place in Canada and Japan showed that there are as many babies die in car seats as do in their cots the terminology is exactly the same, sudden infant death syndrome (S.I.D.S.)
If we make it difficult for a baby to breathe then it may simply stop breathing. Due to oxygen depletion the brain sends confused signals to itself in particular the part of the brain that controls involuntary reflexes like heartbeat, blinking, breathing etc may cease to function effectively.
So what can you do? Well, in a perfect world do not travel with your baby in a car until it is clear of the critical period. This being almost impractical the next best thing is to use a lie flat, in car, crash tested, purpose built carrycot a good number of the top travel system manufacturers do produce such carrycots all tested to ECE 44/04 the same as car seats.
To my mind there is no difference in the safety of both, in some circumstances your baby will stand a better chance in the event of an accident sitting in a car seat and in other circumstances the baby will be safer in a lie flat, purpose built carrycot.
Statistically the injury numbers are about the same for both but the healthier baby is for sure travelling in a lie flat situation, a baby that lies flat for the first six months of its life can be up to 30% healthier and more intelligent than a baby that sits in the scrunch position. With professional help the carrycot should be positioned within the car with the babies head in the centre of the back seat away from the cars crumple zones. In the case of an infant car seat it should utilise the centre seat belt providing that it is fitted with a 3 point belt, again this should be professionally checked.
Another very important issue with car seat infant carriers is the harness. Human nature inhibits a parent from pulling the harness to its correct tension for fear of hurting the baby, with a loose or incorrect height adjusted harness your baby is in grave danger Choose an infant carrier with a 5 point harness, much safer, surprisingly some of the recognised market leaders still use the 3 point harness. It is also good practice to use a fly net to cover the infant carrier this will prevent harm from flying glass in the event of an accident.
Where we have a situation when it is logistically impossible to have your baby occupy most of the back seat then there are methods of positioning the car seat in a more reclined manner. Because vehicle seats are designed for sitting passengers their very design will influence the rear facing infant carriers position, you must never try to position the carrier with anything other than crash tested equipment ‘’ask‘’.
Importantly you should also time your journey precisely to minimise the babies time spent in the carrier, try to travel out with rush hour traffic, allow plenty of time, avoid rushing, drive slower, also ensure that the cars interior is tidy, no bottles, cans, fire extinguishers, or any other loose impediments that could cause injury. Maintain a comfortable cabin temperature as due to outdoor clothing some babies will overheat in the car.
Choose a good quality compatible car seat not necessarily the car seat that comes with your ‘’travel system‘’to push your baby around in the car seat is also unhealthy practice. Your choice is a free one, seek professional advice most good stores have trained staff, avoid an internet purchase as it is rarely consistent with good advice or safety, make sure that it is fully demonstrated and fitted, bring along anyone who may have to transport your baby by car, check also their car for compatibility. You are not being a pest, it is your suppliers duty to demo build and fit don’t make his life easy by accepting your safety equipment in a box. Never accept second hand goods. Also any collision above 5 mph scrap the carrier, if its dropped from above knee height scrap it and if possible have it insured, as good carriers are fairly expensive to replace.
It would also be incorrect of us to recommend one infant carrier over another as the important issue is compatibility, although suffice to say that we as a company do not stock ‘’budget’’ ranges nor will we sell booster seats.
Think baby, it is the most important challenge of your life, a life totally dependant on your actions, Remember, your baby’s health is equally as important as your baby’s safety.
