Safer Child Products

Did you know that Child Car Seats have Expiration dates?  The life span for a child Car Seat is about 6 years from the date of Manufacture, not the date you take it out of the box! I’ve heard more, I’ve heard less.

“Why do they expire?” you ask. I used to wonder the same thing.

After a number of years, technology changes and improves, so we as consumers are encouraged to get newer seats with newer technology, because presumably the newer technology is safer. This is not the only reason though.  The strain and stress on the plastic “shell” can start to wear on the seat over time.  The extreme temperatures that we find in the car can weaken and ultimately crack the plastic, and the Styrofoam “padding” can start to disintegrate.   

“So where can I find the expiration date?”  The expiration date for your Child Car seat should be found in one of several places.  Your best bet is always to check the owner’s manual that came with your child car seat.  The other places you can check is: (1) The sticker on the side of your Child Car Seat or (2) Embedded in the hard plastic on the back of the child car seat. It should say “DO NOT USE THIS CHILD RESTRAINT AFTER….” It will list a month and a year.  If you cannot find it in either of these places, call the manufacturer to find out.

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I have heard so many stories of frustration from parents saying their car seats don’t fit properly in their car.  This is often a problem, especially if you have to put a larger seat rear­-facing, or when you need to fit 2 or 3 car seats across.  Did you know that Evenflo does not allow a RF car seat to be touching the back of the seat in front of it? Their infant carriers must be 1 ½ inches from the seat back in front of them. Think about it. How many vehicle manufacturers are there?  Multiply that by the number of child car seat manufactures and then don’t forget to include the number of different car seat models and vehicle models!  It’s impossible for every car and every car seat to be compatible with so many sizes and shapes of each one!

I find it so frustrating that some manufacturers allow the handle of the infant carrier to be upright while others require it to be back.  There are no hard and fast rules about what car seat is best.  More expensive does not necessarily mean better.  All child car seats need to meet the same safety standards.  You need to choose the car seat that fits best in your car, is appropriate for the age, height and weight of your child and is easy for you to use, so that you will use it the right way, every time you travel. It is so important to read the owners’ manual that comes with your car seat and to reference the vehicle owner’s manual as well.

When shopping for a car seat, ask the store manager if you can try it in your car.  I’m not sure if you will need to buy it first, but if so, be clear about the return policies of that store.  You may be able to take it right out into the parking lot and try it in your car. 

Do you know which positions in your car are able to be used with LATCH?  Has using LATCH made your car seat installations easier?  That’s now always the case.  Check out this article about the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) which were instituted to make car set installation easier.    http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/04/study-says-baby-seats-hard-to-install-in-most-cars/1#.T7pisEVfEWo

Once you’ve read the owner’s manual and installed your seat, consider going to get your installation checked by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.  Visit www.safekids.org for a list of checkup events or inspection stations in your area.

If you are a parent or a caregiver who routinely transports young children, then you know how difficult it is to get the child car seats installed properly.  Be sure that the child car seat is installed so tight that you cannot push or pull it more than 1 inch in any direction when you grab the child car seat at the rear where the seat belt or latch belt goes through the seat.

Our children all get to the age where they want to buckle their chest clip themselves.  It’s wonderful that they feel they can participate! Make sure the chest clip is secured snugly will top of clip at armpit height. Be sure to check that the straps are tight enough that you cannot pinch a fold in the straps at shoulder.

www.safekids.org/safety-basics/babies/on-the-way/carseat-safety-for-babies.html

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As a Child Passenger Safety Technician I come into contact with people from all income levels, all types of cars and car seats.  However, being in Delaware, I was surprised to receive a call from an expectant Mom in Mississippi this morning.  She told me that she is unemployed and will soon be welcoming her baby.  Parents are not allowed to leave the hospital with their newborn without an appropriate car seat.  This woman asked my assistance as she cannot afford to purchase one.

This is a common situation.  Child car seats can be very expensive.  There are programs in many states that offer low-cost car seat assistance.  The Department of Motor Vehicles runs this program in Delaware, but the best resource for low-cost car seats and other car seat related questions is to contact your local Safe Kids Coalition.  http://www.safekids.org/in-your-area/coalitions/ .  This link is a great resource for all types of child safety information.  Just select your state to find a coalition or an inspection station near you.  It will even tell you if there is a Safe Kids Community Event being held in your area.

While we don’t advise buying or using a 2^nd hand seat unless you are sure you have all the parts, the instruction manual and know the car seat’s history, a used  car seat is better than no car seat at all.

Let's keep all our kids safe!

Safer Child Products

As part of being a Child Passenger Safety Technician, I must stay up to date with new products and car seat technology. 

Last week I completed an online course, or webinar, that debunked many car seat myths and discussed many new car seats that were introduced in 2011.  It was fascinating to see the many new products.  Car seats that have Higher Harness Weights, often 65 or 70 pounds, and some booster seats which last as high as 110 or even 120 pounds.

Many car seats have newer, clearer lock off systems and color coded labels! 

I love that many companies are extending their expiration dates to make these combination and high harness weight seats viable for extended use, but think about it.  If you buy a 3 in 1 seat that can be used Rear Facing, Forward Facing and as a Belt Positioning Booster, but it expires in 6 years from date of Manufacture, will your child really get to maximize this seat? The seat may already be close to 1 year when you purchase it. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that we keep our children Rear Facing until at least age 2 and many car seat companies are increasing the RF weight limits for their new seats.  If you are able to keep your child rear facing until they reach the highest height and weight limit for the seat, perhaps they will be 2 ½ before you turn them forward facing.  With a 70 pound Forward Facing weight limit my 10 year old would still be in a harness!  Buy wait, you need to factor in height as well.  The top of a child’s ears must not be above the top of the car seat shell.  So granted, I may have gotten many years use out of the seat, but was it worth buying a 3 in 1 rather than a convertible that is only RF and FF? 

Did you know that Evenflo requires at least 1 ½ inches between the rear facing child car seat and the seat back of the front seat in front of it?  That is important to take into consideration when you are buying a seat to fit your car as well as your child.

It would be nearly impossible for me to impart all the knowledge I learned during my training.  Every car seat is different and ever car seat manufacturer has different requirements.  I encourage you to read your car seat manual and keep it in the car with your vehicle’s owner’s manual.  Use your vehicle’s owner’s manual as a reference tool to determine proper car seat placement in your vehicle, use of latch and seatbelt/ airbag requirements.

I hope this helps you to understand and appreciate the importance of Child Passenger Safety Technicians and getting your child’s car seat inspected. This allows you get 1:1 attention and information specific to your car seat and your child.

For information on a checkup or community safety event go to http://www.safekids.org/in-your-area/events/?event_type_category=community-event&submit.x=21&submit.y=8&submit=submit

Also, you can call your local Police or Fire Station to inquire if they provide this service.  DO NOT USE 911 FOR THIS.  ONLY CALL 911 IN AN EMERGENCY.

Let’s keep all our children safe!

Safer Child Products

As the weather gets colder and mornings are frosty, many of us wonder how to fit the kids into their car seats with their warm fluffy coats on.  Well, the answer is don’t!  Puffy Jackets have no place in the car seat.  If possible, warm up the car OUTSIDE the garage.  Keep blankets in the car that you can put over your child once they are buckled in the car seat.  Also, they can wear their jacket backwards, so that it can warm their arms and body without interfering with the harness straps. 

Puffy jackets take up space between the body and the harness, and even when you think the straps are tight, they are likely only tight to the jacket.  In an impact, instead of being held tight in the seat, the jacket will compress and the child will be thrust against the harness. 

An alternative is to unzip the jacket and pull the sides out from underneath the straps.  Pull the jacket flaps to the side and tighten the harness to the body.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/340181/group/Life/

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I am always curious what parents will do to keep their kids happy in the car.  Do you have toys in the car?  Are they soft, or can they become dangerous projectiles in the event of a crash?  Do you play kiddie music over and over or sing until you are blue in the face?  How about feeding the kids in the car?  I always had snacks with me to keep my children happy while riding in the car.  To this day, my daughter acts like she cannot survive 10 minutes in the car without eating.  When she is hungry, she wants food NOW!

However, with so many choices of car seats and unclear, ever changing guidelines I worry that some parents will change their child’s car seat too soon.  When the baby gets heavy in the carrier, or their toes are hitting everything as you walk by, there is no reason to keep them in the infant carrier (except maybe convenience of portability).  Many convertible car seats can be used rear facing and forward facing.  Just because you move the baby to a bigger seat, certainly does not mean to put the seat forward facing if they are not ready.

Many of the child car seats on the market can be used Rear Facing from as little as 5 pounds and to as high as 35 or 40 pounds.  Check the sticker on the side of your child car seat or the instruction manual.  It is a good idea to keep the instruction manual either attached to the back of the car seat or in your car, so it is available for easy reference. I’ve made that mistake and been asked at a car seat safety check if I have my manual and I did not.  I’ve found that I had questions about where to put the top tether and I’ve had to dig around in the file cabinet to find the instruction manual.

So, you may ask, my baby is always so unhappy in the car and hates to be rear facing.  Unfortunately, this does happen, but perhaps the baby would be happier in a larger seat.  The right seat is the one that fits properly in your car, is easy for you to use and meets the height and weight requirements or your child.

http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

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Did you know that last April the American Academy of Pediatrics and Safe Kids Worldwide made new recommendations for keeping children Rear Facing in Car Seats until age 2?  This is a big change.  If this is your first child, you may not know any different, but if this is not your first you may want to say “What?  That sounds crazy!”  However, the recommendations for “best practice” are not crazy.  It goes along with a 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention that “children younger than 2 are 75% less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding in a rear-facing child seat.” 

The purpose of buckling your child into a car seat is to secure them so they do not move in the event of a short stop or crash.  The seat should be tight like it is “one” with the car.  The harness’ job is to keep the child in the seat, so that should be snug to their body, not their clothes.  The goal is to have the child restraint (car seat) take and distribute the force of the crash, over the child’s entire body.  When forward facing, the heavy head is likely to snap forward, injuring or cracking the spine.  As discussed in an article in the Chicago Tribune, “A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash.”
NHTSA reported in USA Today that car crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14, but a “Properly used child safety seat decreases the risk of death by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.” NHTSA also said that ”Children are 59% less likely to be injured in a booster seat than if they were using seat belts alone.”

Always check the height and weight restrictions on the side of your child car seat and follow the recommendations.  If you are using the vehicle seat belt to attach the car seat check daily to be sure that it did not accidentally get popped open. 

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/story/2011-09-15/gaps-in-child-seat-safety/50419556/1

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-05/health/ct-x-1005-car-seat-guidelines-20111005_1_child-safety-rear-facing-car-seats

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I always allowed my kids to eat in the car.  Why?  Because it kept them quiet, and it seemed like my little one was a bottomless pit.  Today, now that they are older, it seems like it’s our only option some days.  We are so busy running to activities after school and catching up on errands on the weekends, that I feel like we live in our car! 

Periodically, my husband would clean out the car because he couldn’t stand the mess. The question was always “What do we do about the car seat?”  Typically we would just vacuum it out, and occasionally we would take it out and give it a thorough cleaning and it was always pretty gross!  However re-installing it was no easy task and we always took it back to the DMV to get re-installed/checked. 

It wasn’t until I read an article about Germs in Your Car that I realized that not only are the crumbs disgusting to sit in, but they can actually be dangerous to our and our children’s health! For some reason it never occurred to me that crumbs can grow mold!  Well yeah, that makes sense!  In fact, there was a study done Charles P. Gerba Ph.D. Professor of Environmental Microbiology at University of Arizona, which found that “greater numbers of bacteria were found in automobiles that carried children as passengers.”  Specifically, MRSA was found in a child car seat and on a steering wheel too!”  That made me take disinfecting wipes to my car!  Wow!  What a wakeup call that was! 

So, knowing that statistics show 3 out of 4 car seats are NOT installed correctly, then why would we want to remove our already secured/ professionally installed seats from the car, even to clean them, as frequently as Dr. Gerba recommends (washing the cover a few times per month)?  Why can’t there be an easier/ better way, since most child car seats require you to take apart the whole seat just to get the cover off for cleaning. Hmmm…..

Safer Child Products

Do you ever wonder where the safest spot in the car is for your child? You need to take into consideration their age, the type of Child Restraint, how many people typically ride in your car and the recommendations of both the Vehicle Owner’s Manual, and the Child Restraint Manual. Then see what configuration works best in your car.

What really concerns me is that I have seen so many children under the age of 8 riding in the front seat of a vehicle, without even benefit of a booster seat! 

On the visor of the passenger side of my car there is a warning:  “Children can be killed or seriously injured by the air bag. The back seat is the safest place for children.”

The vehicle owner’s manual says “Children 12 years old and under should always be properly restrained in the second or third row seats.”

I understand if you have a large family, or are transporting many children, you need to figure out the best seating position for all of them.  If you have no other choice than to use the front seat, see if you can switch off the passenger side airbag and move the seat back as far as possible.  However, NEVER put a rear facing child restraint in front of an active air bag!  So, why do so many parents act carefree and let their young children ride in the front seat?

Most children of this age should be in car seats or booster seats. Most children this age are not tall enough to use a lap/shoulder belt without a booster seat.  As stated in www.safekids.org, “For children ages 5-9 who are under 4 feet 9 inches tall and less than 80 to 100 pounds, a car seat or booster seat is recommended.”

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Safer Child Products

Everywhere we look there are messages telling us that children are safest in car seats. Infant carriers are made for the convenience of transporting a sleeping baby in and out of the car. It’s a nice little seat, convenient to have a place to put the baby down.  Who ever thought that these same safety seats could be a danger to children OUTSIDE of the vehicle?  Maybe we have a false sense of security that as long as baby is in the car seat or carrier, they will be safe.

In reality, these seats are heavy and can be flipped over.  Often times we underestimate the ability for infants and young children to move.  Just because they are not crawling or even rolling over yet, does not mean that they are still 100% of the time.  Babies kick their feet, and squirm and wiggle quite a bit.  If the carrier is placed on top of a chair or a table, or even a washing machine, this places baby at risk of a fall. 

I read in an article in US News and World Report,” According to the researchers, who examined injury reports to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 43,562 babies were treated in emergency departments for car seat accidents that occurred outside of motor vehicles from 2003 to 2007—which translates to about 8,700 babies a year. Most of the children were 8 months or younger, and most suffered a head or neck injury as a result of falling from the car seat.” http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/07/07/car-seats-arent-safe-when-used-in-the-home

I then read the study which was published in Pediatrics, Volume 126, Number 2, August 2010.  The study found that most injuries were caused by infants falling from car seats (they were un-restrained), car seats falling from elevated surfaces and even car seats overturning on soft surfaces. Soft surfaces you ask?  What’s the risk of that?  If the carrier overturns on a soft surface, the infant is likely to be trapped underneath and if his/her face is down in the carpet/soft surface, they can suffocate. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/2/352.abstract

Lastly, there is no substitute for supervision.  If you need to leave the baby unattended, consider placing him in a crib or play yard where he will be safe and contained.

Safer Child Products

Be cautious when you use hand me down baby products. Be sure that you have the owner’s manual/directions and that you have all the parts.  Check products for recalls at http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/firm.aspx .

Earlier this month, a co-sleeper that was sold between Sept 1997 and Dec 20001 was recalled due to a risk of suffocation http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11187.html?tab=recalls .  Yes, even after all these years! Cribs are no longer being made with drop sides because children were getting caught between the mattress and the drop-side rail.  Car seats now have expiration dates.  Look for it on a sticker on embossed in the plastic somewhere on the car seat!

Be an educated consumer and put child safety first!

Safer Child Products

January 3, 2011

Well,” the weather outside is frightful…” whether you like it like this or not, winter weather will be here for a while.  The question is what to do about bulky jackets when we buckle children into their car seats.  Sometimes Grandparents or Aunts may do things differently from the parents.

I know that I want my children to be warm and they need to wear their jackets when they leave the house. I’m sure we can all agree on this. BUT THEY DON’T FIT IN THE CARSEAT WITH THEIR JACKETS ON!  I know that the harness needs to fit snugly on the chest at armpit level in order to properly restrain children in a crash. If they are wearing puffy jackets, the harness straps will be tight to the jacket and not the body.  All that puff will compress in a crash and the harness will not be tight enough to do its job.

I have found a few suggestions that you may find helpful in handling this dilemma:

1.    Whenever possible, warm up your car before putting the child in. (Don’t forget to open the garage door before starting the car).

2.    Remove his jacket before buckling the harness in the car seat. 

3.    Keep a blanket in the car for the child to use.

4.    Consider purchasing a thinner, yet still warm jacket that may fit better in the car seat.

5.    Dress the child in layers, so even without the jacket, he will be comfortable in the car.

6.    Another alternative is to unzip the jacket completely, buckle the harness and pull each side of the jacket out from under the straps, to the sides.  This should allow you to tighten the harness more securely.

7.    Here’s a test:  Try buckling the child into his car seat with the bulky jacket on.  Pull the straps tight. Now remove the child from the seat without loosening the straps.  Remove the coat and return the child to the seat and see how the harness straps fit.  Do not tighten.  If the straps seem loose, or you can pinch loose strap fabric (webbing) at the shoulder, then the harness is not secure enough to keep your child safe in a crash. 

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Some cars have as many as 11 airbags. Some airbags are not safe next to a child car seat.  Check your vehicle owners’ manual to be sure that you know all the locations of the airbags in your car and if you have side curtain or safety canopy airbags, versus side impact airbags.  Head/chest /torso side impact airbags may be more dangerous to a child passenger due to their size and the force of a deploying airbag. Look also for recommendations on best placement of a child car seat depending on the type of airbag system you have in the rear of the car.

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Do you know what the child restraint laws are in your state?  Every state has slightly different laws and the laws do not necessarily reflect "best practice".

In the state of Delaware, children are required to be in a child car seat or booster seat up to age 8 or 65 lbs, whichever comes first, whereas in our neighboring state of Maryland the law says All children under age 8 or 4'9"  must be in a "child restraint" unless they are 65lbs or more. 

New Jersey Law requires "Children under 8 years of age who weigh less than 80 pounds to ride properly secured in a child safety seat or booster seat in the rear seat of the vehicle."

What these laws don't tell you is that the vehicle seat belt may not properly fit until a child is 4'9".  Even so, most belt positioning booster seats are rated to 80 or 100 pounds.  A belt positioning booster seat must only be used with the Lap/Shoulder belt combination, never with a lap belt alone.

The back seat is the safest place to sit, until at least age 13, because a child's body is not strong enough to withstand the impact of an airbag in a crash.  If you have no other option but the front seat be sure to turn off the passenger airbag. 

 http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/big-kids/on-the-way/booster-seat-and-seat-belts.html

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Did you know that the experts now recommend that children remain in a 5 point harness in a child car seat for as long as possible, to the maximum height and weight of the child car seat? This means that many children will be in a child car seat and not a booster seat at least past age 4.  Many children will start booster seats later. For more information, see http://www.research.chop.edu/programs/carseat/toddler.php