Baby Safety Seat: How Safe Is It?

As a parent, one of the most important things we need to provide for our babies and children is safety. However, there are times that even if we've exerted all our efforts, there are still underlying dangers, even on things we thought will provide security to them, like a car seat.

These safety precautions come with numerous benefits. Thus it is required to be used by law in most countries. But still, there are also hidden dangers that some parents may not be aware. It is important to do your research first and read car seat reviews 2018 on all brands and models you are considering.

From leaving your baby in a seat for far too long to materials used on its manufacturing that may be harmful to your kids, here are some of the most common hidden dangers.

How much time your baby spends in the seat.

We all know that it is not a good idea for our children to stay inside any vehicle for too long. So how long is considered safe? Most experts suggest that it should not be more than 30 minutes long. There are so many possible dangers here such as curvature of your kid's spine, deprivation, and of course suffocation.

Chemicals used in the seats that may be toxic.

The purpose of these devices is to keep our kids safe. Ironically, numerous of these life-saving devices contain chemicals deemed to be harmful to babies. A test for allergens, heavy metals, lead, chlorine, and bromine created to about 150 booster, convertible, and infant safety seats shows that 60% of these contain at least one of these chemicals, and about 75% have some toxic flame retardants. There have been health problems linked to these chemicals such as impaired learning, birth deficiencies, cancer, allergies, and liver toxicity.

Improper installation.

According to inspectors of car seats, this is the most common mistake parents make. Your child's risk of getting injured is a lot higher when these devices are either too loose or not tight enough. To test for a secure fit, hold its base and shake it firmly in different directions. You shouldn't be able to move the child safety seat more than an inch forward, left or right. Make sure to put all your weight when tightening both the seat and the seatbelt. Always remember that if it's too loose, your little one can easily get serious injuries during a collision when he or she hits the back of your vehicle's front seat.

Leaving your baby to sleep.

Leaving your baby to sleep for a long time in a position in which they are in on a car seat may cause harm to their physical development. Moreover, they should not be left unattended even if they are awake. Keep in mind that these are intended for car rides and not for sleeping.

You children’s clothes.

We should also be aware of the types of clothes our babies will wear as they could hinder their safety when placed in the seat. There are items of clothing like thick jackets, winter coats or bodysuits which can have a massive impact on the tightness of the harness when fastened.

Using or buying second-hand.

Having a new baby is very costly and can hurt our budget, but using any second-hand and not knowing how past owners used is not safe at all. Most of the time you will not be able to tell if there are any damages or if it was involved in an accident. Also, even if the previous owner is someone you know, there are still concerns about bacteria that you need to consider. Your baby will have the most contact with cushioned supports, and this is always the area most affected by bacteria. There are numerous quality cheap car seats available out there that you can check out which are safer.