16 & pregnant and carseat safety

A few nights ago a mom friend posted this picture on her face book and i was horrified when i saw it.

It is taken of her TV while she was watching 16 and pregnant. As you can tell the baby is improperly buckled into the car seat.

This is not only illegal but also extremely unsafe in the event of a car accident this baby could be ejected from her seat causing life threating injurys or death.

I have since went through all the other episodes of 16 and pregnant from this season. Sadly most the infants are buckled in imporoperly. By doing so they are putting the child at risk everytime they are in the car.  

A little carseat safty leason

The chest clip should be on the chest thing even with the arm pits

The straps should fit snug on baby

You should not be able to pinch webbing on the childs should your fingers should slide off

Picture borrowed from Britax, no copyright infringement intended.

For rear facing the straps should be AT or BELOW the top the infants shoulder.

Picture borrowed from orbitbaby.com, no copyright infringement intended.

Puffy jackets shoulf never be worn in carseats

Car seat safty should always be taken sersiously!

Its your childs life that is put a risk so please do the research and keep that baby safe!

Extened rear facing

When emmalynn was born it was a no brainer to put her rear facing(its the law) at the time i planned on switching her to forward facing at 1 year and the weight requirment. But then i started to do some research and learned that its up to 5 times safer for a child to rear face until the age of 2. Even after 2 its still safer for a child to rear face.

 I have talked to lots of moms and those that switched at a year always have a reason. I have heard some of the folowing and more.

My child is tall it jsut looks uncomfortable. My daughter is in the 95% for height she is tall and just fine.

My child crys the who time they are in the car seat rear facing. Emmalynn crys as well but i give her a toy or a book

Her feet are touching the seat and i am worried a broken leg. "there is not a single documented case of children's legs, hips, etc. breaking or being injured in a crash due to longer rear-facing. There are plenty of cases of head and neck injury in forward-facing children that could have been prevented if the child had remained rear-facing. However, even if a leg or hip were broken or injured, it can be fixed. A damaged spinal cord (from forward-facing too soon) cannot be repaired and subjects the child to lifelong disability or death." {from http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx}

But all of those are just EXCUSES!!

Please do the research beofre you switch your child!

What you would rather happen if your child is in a car wreck

Forward facing crash test

Rear facing crash test

Rear facing is safer

Emmalynn Rear facing at 16.5 Months in a Graco myride 65

she is upset that she has to be in the car seat