An infant car seat is a car seat designed for a baby's
first year of life and should be positioned facing backwards in the
car. Every baby should sit rear facing in a car until at least age one,
or until about 30 lbs and 32 in in length/height, but really you
should try to keep your baby sitting rear facing in the car seat for as
long as possible (two years or more). Studies have shown that rear facing infants fare better (meaning have a
higher survival rate and less risk for serious injury) when sitting
rear facing in a car seat during an auto accident. A car seat designed
to only sit rear facing is an infant car seat.
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| Infant Car Seats |
(Convertible car seats can sit rear facing or forward facing depending on the age of the baby)
Infant car seats are designed to hold a baby for only the
first year (sometimes a bit longer) and are therefore usually better
fitting for young infants than most convertible car seats. In addition,
infant car seats are designed to be easily removed from the car so that
you do not have to wake a sleeping baby upon arriving at a
destination. Unlike convertible car seats or forward facing car seats,
infant car seats come with a stay-in-place base that is locked tight in
the seat of the car. The actual baby seat can be snapped in and out
of this car seat base allowing the seat to be used as a baby carrier.
Parents tend to love this feature because it then allows them to move a
sleeping baby from the car without waking him. Most infant car seats
are designed in conjunction with a standard size stroller. The car
seat fits into a specific stroller allowing the baby to stroll without
being removed from the car seat. These infant car seat-stroller
combinations are known as travel systems.
There are also some minuses to an infant car seat. Many parents say their children outgrow the infant car seat well before a year, forcing them to buy a convertible car seat sooner than expected. If finances are an issue then this is something to consider. (And don’t forget the booster seat that will need to be purchased after your child outgrows the convertible car seat). In addition, many parent reviewers say that due to the snug fit of infant car seats; their baby is never very comfortable, especially as they get older. Parents write that their babies screamed whenever placed in the infant car seat, screaming that only came to an end when they finally switched to a convertible car seat. In addition, many parents tend to leave their baby sitting in the infant car seat far too long. The baby rides in the car in the seat, rides in the stroller in the seat, and even sits at home in the seat. Studies have shown that this excessive and prolonged sitting in the seat can restrict the air flow to the baby due to the angle of the seat (this will not affect your baby normally—this is only for babies left in these seats day in and day out for the majority of the day and night, something many parents tend to do).
Too many times my daughter has fallen asleep just before reaching a destination and then was awaken as we removed her from her car seat. Had we had an infant car seat we could have avoided this situation—and for those of you still waiting for the arrival of your little one, yes waking a sleeping infant is a big deal. It can sometimes take a baby hours to fall asleep, despite being extremely tired (and of course the baby is screaming this whole time due to the tiredness) and the last thing you ever want to do is wake the baby before he is ready. Also, most young babies will want to eat upon waking, even if they just recently ate and even if they only took a short cat nap. However, I don’t very often travel by car so for me an infant car seat isn’t a great necessity, but for those of you frequently on the road, this may be a purchase you want to consider. It could make your life much easier.
**Important: Car seats have expiration dates. Most car seats are only good for six years of use (although check with the company to find out the exact lifespan of your particular car seat). The clock begins ticking on cars seats from the date of their manufacturer, not the date of purchase, so be sure to check the box that your car seat came in for this date. Also, double check the age of a car seat if buying second-hand. **Important: Car seats need to be replaced after auto accidents. Any damage to a car seat can compromise its future ability to perform as designed. If you are considering purchasing a car seat second hand be sure to inquire about any accidents the car seat might have already survived. If you are not sure about the history of the car seat then do not buy.
Pros And Cons Of Infant Car Seats
The pluses for purchasing an infant car seat are probably quite obvious. The seat is designed to fit a young infant therefore holding the infant better during the car ride and the seat can be removed from the car seat base, transforming it into an infant carrier. You never have to wake the sleeping baby. Your baby can move from the car to the home/store/restaurant/etc… without being disturbed. Most infant car seats come with convenient carrier handles designed for toting your infant about town. However, the seat and the baby can become heavy which is why many parents will buy the stroller that fits with the infant car seat, thereby creating an easy to use travel system.There are also some minuses to an infant car seat. Many parents say their children outgrow the infant car seat well before a year, forcing them to buy a convertible car seat sooner than expected. If finances are an issue then this is something to consider. (And don’t forget the booster seat that will need to be purchased after your child outgrows the convertible car seat). In addition, many parent reviewers say that due to the snug fit of infant car seats; their baby is never very comfortable, especially as they get older. Parents write that their babies screamed whenever placed in the infant car seat, screaming that only came to an end when they finally switched to a convertible car seat. In addition, many parents tend to leave their baby sitting in the infant car seat far too long. The baby rides in the car in the seat, rides in the stroller in the seat, and even sits at home in the seat. Studies have shown that this excessive and prolonged sitting in the seat can restrict the air flow to the baby due to the angle of the seat (this will not affect your baby normally—this is only for babies left in these seats day in and day out for the majority of the day and night, something many parents tend to do).
My Two Cents
After reading the many reviews online about infant car seats and convertible car seats I decided to purchase a convertible car seat that came with an infant insert allowing the seat to be used with infants as light as 5 lbs. The seat I chose allows my daughter to sit rear-facing for two years and then can be converted to a forward facing seat for another two years. After that I will then need to purchase a booster car seat. While I have no complaints about the seat I have purchased, there are many instances when I wish I had purchased an infant car seat.Too many times my daughter has fallen asleep just before reaching a destination and then was awaken as we removed her from her car seat. Had we had an infant car seat we could have avoided this situation—and for those of you still waiting for the arrival of your little one, yes waking a sleeping infant is a big deal. It can sometimes take a baby hours to fall asleep, despite being extremely tired (and of course the baby is screaming this whole time due to the tiredness) and the last thing you ever want to do is wake the baby before he is ready. Also, most young babies will want to eat upon waking, even if they just recently ate and even if they only took a short cat nap. However, I don’t very often travel by car so for me an infant car seat isn’t a great necessity, but for those of you frequently on the road, this may be a purchase you want to consider. It could make your life much easier.
**Important: Car seats have expiration dates. Most car seats are only good for six years of use (although check with the company to find out the exact lifespan of your particular car seat). The clock begins ticking on cars seats from the date of their manufacturer, not the date of purchase, so be sure to check the box that your car seat came in for this date. Also, double check the age of a car seat if buying second-hand. **Important: Car seats need to be replaced after auto accidents. Any damage to a car seat can compromise its future ability to perform as designed. If you are considering purchasing a car seat second hand be sure to inquire about any accidents the car seat might have already survived. If you are not sure about the history of the car seat then do not buy.
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