Car Seat best practice recommendation during Pregnancy and 5 Step Seat Belt Fit Test for Children.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. (NHTSA) has developed a “4 Stages for Kids” guide for parents, the essence of which we will share with you here with some explanation included — along with our + Stage that goes way at the very beginning.
STAGE IS DURING PREGNANCY:
Current recommendations by NHTSA is to wear the lap belt low “under” the pregnancy and the shoulder belt properly placed on the shoulder and crossing the body midchest. While it is safer to wear the seat belt than not to and this is a safe way to wear the seat belt during pregnancy, it does not offer optimum protection as the pregnant woman and her baby is at risk of injury from the seat belt itself.
The Tummy Shield redirects the seat belt completely away from the pregnancy and creating a leg harness.
STAGE 1 IS REAR FACING (BIRTH TO AT LEAST 2 YEARS OLD):
Children MUST be rear facing at this stage of development. Why? All car seats are crash tested for a forward impact as this is the most common type of crash. In a forward impact the child’s head, neck and back are supported by the child restraint during the first and most intense phase of the crash.
“Why is that important,” you may ask. Not until a child is much older—some time after 2-years-old (twice as old as a 1-year-old)—are the bones of their neck STARTING to be strong enough to resist the massive amounts of force experienced in a car crash as their neck tries to keep their disproportionally large heads attached to their bodies. According to medical experts, even just 1/4 inch of elongation of the spinal cord is enough to cause permanent disability or death.
The absolute minimum age at which a child should be turned forward facing is 2-years-old according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). But they should remain rear facing to the upper rear-facing height/weight limit of their child restraint seat (this is getting to be higher and higher). Once the child outgrows the rear-facing seat they are ready for a forward-facing seat.I am text block.
STAGE 2 FORWARD FACING (TYPICALLY 2 TO 4 YEARS OLD):
At this stage children are almost always forward-facing (However, not to exclude the possibility, there are becoming more seats capable of handling taller/heavier kids rear facing and parents taking the AAP recommendation to heart and keeping their children rear facing beyond 3 years old). Children should remain in a forward-facing harnessed child restraint to the upper limits of that restraint. Once a child outgrows their conventional 5-point harness system (these too are getting higher and higher weight/height limits) a booster is recommended by NHTSA and AAP.
STAGE 3 BELT POSITIONING DEVICE (TYPICALLY 4 TO 8 YEARS OLD BUT OFTEN OLDER):
It is recommended that children be in a belt-positioning device until they can pass they can properly fit the vehicle’s seat belt, which is typically more to do with height than with age. Most children can fit the seat belt when they reach 4’9″. To be sure do the 5-Step Seat belt Fit Test (described below).
STAGE 4 VEHICLE SEAT BELTS:
Once they pass the 5-Step Seat belt Fit Test (described below) children should be restrained with a lap shoulder seat belt. Children should remain in the back seat of the vehicle until they are 13 years old.
5-STEP SEAT BELT FIT TEST
Are you TALL enough for this ride?
Children under 4 feet 9 inches tall should use a belt positioning device until they can pass the 5 step seatbelt fit test.
Kids should use a belt positioning device until they pass the 5-step seat belt test (see image to the left for the 5 steps).
Proper use of a belt positioning device reduces the risk of serious injury.
A child seat with a harness is best for kids until at least 40 lbs.
STAGE IS DURING PREGNANCY:
Current recommendations by NHTSA is to wear the lap belt low “under” the pregnancy and the shoulder belt properly placed on the shoulder and crossing the body midchest. While it is safer to wear the seat belt than not to and this is a safe way to wear the seat belt during pregnancy, it does not offer optimum protection as the pregnant woman and her baby is at risk of injury from the seat belt itself.
The Tummy Shield redirects the seat belt completely away from the pregnancy and creating a leg harness.
STAGE 1 IS REAR FACING (BIRTH TO AT LEAST 2 YEARS OLD):
Children MUST be rear facing at this stage of development. Why? All car seats are crash tested for a forward impact as this is the most common type of crash. In a forward impact the child’s head, neck and back are supported by the child restraint during the first and most intense phase of the crash.
“Why is that important,” you may ask. Not until a child is much older—some time after 2-years-old (twice as old as a 1-year-old)—are the bones of their neck STARTING to be strong enough to resist the massive amounts of force experienced in a car crash as their neck tries to keep their disproportionally large heads attached to their bodies. According to medical experts, even just 1/4 inch of elongation of the spinal cord is enough to cause permanent disability or death.
The absolute minimum age at which a child should be turned forward facing is 2-years-old according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). But they should remain rear facing to the upper rear-facing height/weight limit of their child restraint seat (this is getting to be higher and higher). Once the child outgrows the rear-facing seat they are ready for a forward-facing seat.I am text block.
STAGE 2 FORWARD FACING (TYPICALLY 2 TO 4 YEARS OLD):
At this stage children are almost always forward-facing (However, not to exclude the possibility, there are becoming more seats capable of handling taller/heavier kids rear facing and parents taking the AAP recommendation to heart and keeping their children rear facing beyond 3 years old). Children should remain in a forward-facing harnessed child restraint to the upper limits of that restraint. Once a child outgrows their conventional 5-point harness system (these too are getting higher and higher weight/height limits) a booster is recommended by NHTSA and AAP.
STAGE 3 BELT POSITIONING DEVICE (TYPICALLY 4 TO 8 YEARS OLD BUT OFTEN OLDER):
It is recommended that children be in a belt-positioning device until they can pass they can properly fit the vehicle’s seat belt, which is typically more to do with height than with age. Most children can fit the seat belt when they reach 4’9″. To be sure do the 5-Step Seat belt Fit Test (described below).
STAGE 4 VEHICLE SEAT BELTS:
Once they pass the 5-Step Seat belt Fit Test (described below) children should be restrained with a lap shoulder seat belt. Children should remain in the back seat of the vehicle until they are 13 years old.
5-STEP SEAT BELT FIT TEST
Are you TALL enough for this ride?
Children under 4 feet 9 inches tall should use a belt positioning device until they can pass the 5 step seatbelt fit test.
Kids should use a belt positioning device until they pass the 5-step seat belt test (see image to the left for the 5 steps).
Proper use of a belt positioning device reduces the risk of serious injury.
A child seat with a harness is best for kids until at least 40 lbs.
Thanks for the information
ReplyDeletethe stages are the best so far.
ReplyDelete