Infant car seat safety checklist for new parents

Being a new parent is the most exciting and overwhelming experience you will ever go through, filled with huge amounts of responsibility that mainly comes down to keeping your baby safe. The main precautions you can take as the baby gets closer to coming home is making sure your car seat sits correctly and that it has room between the back of the front seats.

Note: Baby Hills Co., Ltd., a premium baby product importer from around the world, operates with the vision: ‘Baby Hills will import and distribute the best baby products from across the globe as if every child were our own.’ Explore our car seat products at https://babyhillsthailand.com/car-seat-for-baby

A car seat is not just baby gear, but a life-saving mechanism that could potentially save your child’s life in the event of an accident. Well, in this essay you have an important car seat safety check for new parents to make the experience as smooth and stress-free.

Choosing the Best Car Seat

The first thing to ensure your baby´s safety is that you choose the correct car seat. Although there are various types of car seats, the safest one for infants is generally a rear-facing infant seat.

1. **Look Up for Safety Standards**: Search about the car seat and ensure that it meets all safety standards provided by necessary regulatory bodies of your country. For contrast, in the U.S., seek car seats which adhere to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213). To count as safe, a car seat must be extensively tested according to these standards.
2. **Check Expiration Date**: Car seats come with expiration dates, which are usually from 6 -10 years of the date when they were made. Inspect the expiration date before purchasing a car seat or using one due to materials breaking down potentially rendering it unsafe.
3. **Go for the right side**: Make sure your car seat is suitable as per baby’s height and weight. A majority of the infant car seats are mostly up to weights (lbs) ranging from 30 — 35 pounds, but it is best to properly check with your manufacturer guidelines if new-borns fit in them.
4. Think about ease of Use : search for a car seat that may be simple to install and use. Others have a base that stays in the car and the seat clicks easily, letting you slide it out without waking Baby.

#### Proper Installation

The finest car seat in the world is also but no use if it isn’t properly installed. It is one of the biggest mistakes that new parents make, as improper installation may go unnoticed and prove tragic.

1. * Consult the **Car Seat Manual**: Before installation even begins, reference both your car seat’s manual and owner’s vehicle manual. To avoid this mistake, make sure that you understand the different vehicles have different way of installation not necessary for every bracket via a perfect job fit.
2. In most cases, car seats are installed either with the vehicle seat belt or using LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children). The two methods are safe when used properly, but never use them at the same time. Pick the method that will result in a car seat being installed most securely.
3. Seat Angle* Infant car seats must be installed at the correct angle to prevent your baby’s head from falling forward and restricting their airway. The first set of photos illustrate how the correct angle is achieved in most car seats that have a built-in level indicator.
4. **Get a snug fit**: Once installed, your car seat should move no more than 1 inch to the side or front and back. If so, adjust your installation to get close fit. An insecure car seat may very well mean that the baby will not survive a subsequent accident.

## Usage & Consumer Maintenance Requirements

AFTER the car seat is installed, what matters about the experience each day of use.

1. **Use the Harness Correctly**: You will want … snug straps to fit against your baby’s body, using them properly!! You should not be able to pinch any extra strap material at your shoulders, and there should be no slack. The chest clip needs to be at underarm level and the car seat strap well up on your child’s shoulder to bear any crash forces.
2. **Don’t Use Bulky Clothing**: It may be easy to keep your child bundled up in a snowsuit or thick coat during cold weather, but it could prevent the harness from doing its job. Instead, layer your baby in lighter clothes and put a blanket over the harness for warmth.
3. **Check Regularly**: You should be taking it out and inspecting the seat for any signs of wear or damage (i.e. frayed straps, cracks in plastic). Also, make sure all buckles and adjusters work properly.
4. Keep that Car Seat Clean: Sadly, spills and messes are unavoidable when you have a baby around… but make sure to clean the car seat as instructed by the manufacturer. Materials may break down and the seats could lose their ability to protect your child properly from harsh chemicals or improper washing techniques.
5. Safety Checks and Improvements

Your baby will outgrow these seats the quickest so it is important to be on top of your seat changing schedule (and if you have a keyfit 30, then that would uproot most infant carriers).

1. **Record your child’s Progress**: Often your baby grows in the length and weight combination of the car seat. As soon as a baby is too large for their infant car seat, they must move to a convertible that can be used in rear-facing positions well into the toddler years.
2. **Swap Out After A Big Crash**: If your vehicle is involved in a moderate to high-speed crash, the car seat should be replaced even if no damage appears. This could reduce the ability of your infant to be protected by the child seat in future incidents.
3. Keep in mind that you should always be informed of recalls: When you buy a car seat, registering your product with the manufacturer to receive recall or safety notices. Luckily, as long as you regard this information, your baby is always in safe hands.

#### Conclusion

It is the biggest responsibility of new parents to choose the right car seat for their newborn and its proper installation & usage. With this extensive car seat safety list and a little practice, you can ride in peace knowing that your baby is as safe as possible each time they are whisked away on the open road. A good, properly installed and used car seat is your baby’s first line of defense in the event of a crash—leaving you one less thing to worry about as that remarkable journey called parenting unfolds.