What is coat compression? How can winter coats affect car seat safety? There is a great deal of air trapped with the padding of winter coats and blankets. In an accident, the force of the impact causes the winter coat to compress, squeezing out all the air trapped inside the winter coat. To illustrate the idea, think of the commercials for those space saving bags that compress the air when packing coats, blankets, and pillows. There is a great deal of air trapped in those items. In an accident, the result is that the straps of the harness become much too slack and no longer secure your child as was intended by the car seat manufacturer. The harness is intended to stay close to your childs body at all times. When the harness has slack, the child is at greater risk for sustaining injuries. In extreme cases, infants have been completely ejected from their car seat while the winter coat was found left still secured within the functioning clasps of the harness. What does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say about winter coats and car seat safety? Here is a quote from NHTSA, ...to keep your baby the safest, always remove bulky clothing or blankets before you place the child in the seat. Then, put the blanket or coat over the baby. You should never place anything thick underneath the baby, unless that item came with the car seat originally - which tells you its been tested by the manufacturer. When a child is wearing a thick coat, its hard to tell if you have a good harness fit, which is crucial. A coat can add a lot of slack, reducing the level of protection for your child in a crash. How can I check to see if my childs winter coat is too bulky for his car seat? Put the winter coat on your child and buckle him into the car seat as you normally would. Adjust the straps to fit your child. Remove your child from the seat and take off the coat. Without adjusting the straps, place your child in the seat and buckle. If you can fit more than two fingers under the harness at the shoulder bone, then the coat is unsafe for that car seat. How can I keep my child warm in his car seat without his winter coat? It does not have to be an either�â¬or decision: either your child is safe and cold or he is at risk and warm. You can do many things to ensure your child is warm and cozy in his car seat. *Heat the car up before taking the child out. *For infants, several products are on the market that go over the car seat carrier and act as a blanket. However, it is important to be sure that the product you purchase meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Some of these products that add material between the baby and the harness have come under scrutiny for being to bulky as well. The JJ Cole Original Bundle Me is an example of a product that meets safety standards. *Harness your child in his car seat. Make use of that huge stash of blankets you got at the baby shower and tuck them around the child after he has been harnessed. Make sure the blanket does not get tucked under the childs bottom or back. *Use a polar fleece winter suit. Polar fleece is known for warmth without bulk. There are many out on the market and of varying price ranges. Last year, I purchased a suit from Old Navys sale rack for fewer than ten dollars. Other choices may be LL Bean Trail Model Fleece Coveralls or Hanna Andersson Cozy Fleece Warm Up Suit. *Have your child wear his winter coat out to the car. In the car remove the coat, buckle the child in his car seat, and then slip the coat on backwards over his arms. voices.yahoo/winter-coats-car-seat-safety-every-caregiver-644233.html
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 23:42:57 +0000
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