Car Seat Safety
Car Seat Safety: Tips for First-Time Parents
A common question we hear from expectant parents is, “What should I bring to the birth center
when I’m in labor?” While we do provide a list as a guideline, the most important item you’ll
need is a car seat.
This means, before your baby is born, you'll need to research car seats and purchase one. It
should be properly installed in the car you plan to use for traveling home from the birth center.
We will check to make sure you've met this requirement before we can officially discharge you
from the birth center.
For many parents, especially those preparing for their first baby, selecting a car seat can feel
daunting. It’s understandable and normal to need help with this process. In this blog, we’ll
explore frequently asked questions about car seats and offer some tips for picking the right car
seat for your family.
How Do I Choose a Car Seat?
With so many options on the market, it can be mind-boggling to choose a car seat. Even
knowing where to start can be overwhelming. But there are a few principles you can follow
during your research that can guide you to the right choice for your family.
Understand What’s Really Important
The answer to “What is the best car seat?” is personal and individual. There is no one “best” car
seat. Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs, or car seat techs) have a saying: The best
car seat is the one that fits your child, fits your vehicle, fits your budget, and that you can install
correctly every time. The reason for this is, if a car seat does not meet that four criteria, it’s not
going to provide you with the level of safety it’s intended for.
Compile Information
Before starting your search, there are a few pieces of information you should gather to have on
hand.
First, you’ll need to be familiar with the vehicle(s) you’ll be using the car seat in. Reading your
vehicle’s manual will tell you essential information about how to install car seats in that particular
vehicle. Some vehicles have places where car seats are prohibited. The manual will also tell
you where the LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) features are located and how to
use them. Things are slightly different in each vehicle, and sometimes those small differences
can have a big impact on your decision.
For a newborn, you will need a rear-facing car seat. Consider and answer the following
questions while you research particular car seats:
● Do you expect your baby to be premature, low birth weight, or have other special needs?
Preemies may need certain seats with lower weight limits, lower harness slots, and other
accommodations.
● Do you want an infant carrier with a base or a convertible car seat?
● Where are the seat belts and LATCH points in your car? Do you plan to install your car
seat using the seat belt or LATCH points?
● What are the dimensions of your vehicle seats and the distance between the front and
the back seats? This will ensure there is adequate space.
● Does anyone in your family have special needs to consider or any reason to make
installing and using the car seat more accessible? This might include conditions where
you need seats that are easier to buckle or easier to install.
● What convenience features are you interested in?
● What is your budget?
From here, you can either decide to proceed with your search by looking at retailer’s websites or
stores to see what fits your criteria, or make your starting point from a list of trusted
recommendations to narrow down your choices.
Look for Recommendations
When looking for recommendations, it’s important to consider the source you are getting your
information from. In the United States, car seats are required to pass basic testing. The car seat
manufacturers perform the testing, and if a car seat meets the minimum federal requirements, it
can be put on the market.
This tells us two things:
1. Every new car seat sold in stores has met federal safety standards, and
2. Additional claims of better performance or higher safety standards are subjective.
Keep in mind that all recommendations are opinion based; even if their opinions are based on
facts, there is still a choice in how to interpret and prioritize facts. Focus on common themes you
see in the reviews among different sources. Remember, this is just one piece of the big picture.
Below are a few organizations that give recommendations about car seats based on thorough
evaluations.
Car Seats for the Littles
A trustworthy source of information about the pros and cons of various car seats is the nonprofit
organization Car Seats for the Littles, which is staffed by nationally certified Child Passenger
Safety Technicians who have a wealth of experience. They provide extensive resources for
parents on their website including car seat reviews, educational articles, a list of recommended
car seats, and more. Car Seats for the Littles also has a Facebook group where you can ask
questions.
NHTSA Car Seat Ease-of-Use Ratings
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rates car seats based on how easy they are
for the consumer to use. There are four ease-of-use categories: Instructions, installation
features, clarity of labeling, and features related to securing the child correctly. This gives you an
idea of how likely it is that the average person will be able to use the car seat properly.
Consumer Reports Car Seat Ratings
Consumer Reports does additional testing to car seat models to simulate crashes at a higher
speed than the tests required by federal standards. They also test for ease of use, during which
they analyze the instructions and how to operate and install each car seat into several different
vehicles. This additional testing does not automatically mean that their ratings are “the best;” it
is simply another piece of the puzzle.
Installing Your Car Seat
Every family should have their car seat installation checked by a certified Child Passenger
Safety Technician, if possible. You can go to this website to find a list of CPSTs you can contact
and request an appointment. Most of the time, this service is free. Contrary to popular belief,
most firefighters and first responders are not actually certified CPSTs and may not give you the
correct information, so it’s important to stick to the list!
Here are a few resources to get you started:
● NHTSA car seat installation instructions and how to find an official car seat inspection station
● Safe Kids Worldwide is the organization that certifies Child Passenger Safety
Technicians. They have a list of inspection stations here and a database of individual
CPSTs that you can search through here.
The next step in ensuring you install the car seat correctly is to read the car seat manual. Yes,
more manuals and more homework! Many times, we tend to brush past reading manuals
thinking, “Surely, it can’t be that hard to figure out.” But in this case, it is imperative that you read
the manual because making mistakes can compromise the safety of your child.
When Should I Research and Purchase Our Car Seat?
Give yourself plenty of time to research and make a choice so you are sure the car seat meets
all of your requirements. There is no hard-and-fast rule of when to start, but it’s a good rule of
thumb to start looking around after the halfway mark of your pregnancy and think about making
your final decision at the beginning of your third trimester. This gives you time to complete the
purchase, read your manual and get familiar with the car seat, set up an appointment with a
CPST, and have things ready to go before the baby comes. Sometimes babies decide to show
up early, so it’s definitely not something you want to leave until the last minute.
What Else Do I Need to Know About Car Seats?
There are a few things to avoid when using your car seat. Anything that doesn’t come in the box
with your car seat should be double checked on whether it is safe.
Aftermarket Products
Aftermarket products are accessories sold separately from car seats like infant inserts, shoulder
pads, extra lining, or other items that go in between the car seat and the child, custom covers,
and seat protectors. These items are not regulated, not tested in official crash tests, and can
interfere with the safety and performance of the car seat in multiple ways. If you are looking for
a particular accessory, contact the manufacturer of your car seat. Sometimes they sell these
items individually and they have already been tested and approved to be used with your
particular car seat. Otherwise, it’s best to avoid these items.
Keeping Babies Warm
The best way to keep your baby both warm and safe in their car seat is layers. Using a thick
coat or fluffy outfit makes it difficult to properly adjust the straps in your child’s car seat, and
extra lining inside the car seat can compromise its safety.
Instead, opt for layers like a onesie with pants, socks, and a hat with a thin fleece added over
the clothing. Then, after your child is buckled in, tuck a blanket around them snugly. If more
warmth is needed, you can tuck another blanket on top and/or use a “shower cap” style cover
that goes over the top of the car seat only and can be removed easily. You don’t want your baby
to overheat after the car warms up, so removable layers are the way to go!
Have Confidence
No parent is going to get everything right the first time. Parenting, including car seat safety, is
something you continue to learn as you go. Have confidence that even if this seems
overwhelming and confusing right now, things will get easier and come more naturally to you.
At Roots, we are always here to support throughout pregnancy, birth, and parenting. To learn
more about our services, call the front desk at 612-338-2784 or fill out our online form.
Thanks to Kristen Gardiner, a former CPST with more than eight years of experience educating
parents, for contributing to this blog. Kristen is a mom to three young boys and lives with her
family in Dallas, Texas. She is a writer and speaker who’s passionate about storytelling,
especially when it comes to personal experiences struggling with mental health in motherhood.
Kristen earned a marketing degree from Texas A&M and an MBA from Texas A&M-Corpus
Christi.
