Your Baby’s First Car Seat: What to Know and Why

Most babies can be in a car seat from the time they are born. In fact, it is recommended that newborns be placed in a rear-facing car seat until they reach at least two years old or until they exceed the height and weight limits of their car seat. Some parents choose to keep their baby in a rear-facing car seat for even longer if they are still within the height and weight limits of the seat.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), you should use a car seat for your baby as soon as they are born. There is no specific weight or age requirement, but it is important to keep in mind that newborns are especially vulnerable in a car accident. A car seat will help protect your child’s head, neck, and spine in the event of a crash.

How long is the recommended time for a newborn to stay in a car seat?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends keeping your baby in the car seat for as long as possible. Your child should remain rear-facing until they outgrow their infant car seat, which usually occurs when they are around age two and twenty pounds. The AAP also suggests that you keep your child harnessed to a five point harness system until she is about four years old or weighs forty pounds – whichever comes first.

A newborn baby should not be in a car seat for more than an hour at a time. The same goes for an infant. It is also important to remember that if your baby falls asleep in the car seat, you should remove them from the device and put him or her on a flat surface such as a crib mattress when possible.

Car seat straps should be snug when you place your baby in the device. They shouldn’t be so tight that they leave a mark, but it is important not to strap them too loosely either. The shoulder belt needs to cross at or slightly below your child’s shoulders and the lap belt requires placement low on their hips or pelvis.

The AAP recommends checking car seat fit regularly with this simple test: grab both of your infant’s arms and pull up while he/she is still buckled in the harness system. Your child cannot lift his head more than an inch off of his car seat if everything fits correctly – especially when compared to how much room there is between him and the top of carrier (usually more than an inch). If the harness doesn’t fit snugly, you need to adjust it.

• The straps should be tight enough to keep the child from slipping out of the seat;
• If a child is wearing bulky clothing, the straps may need to be loosened;
• Never loosen or tighten a strap while your child is in their car seat because it could cause injury;
• The top tether strap should always be secured tightly at all times;
• To test if you have tightened the straps correctly, try picking up your car seat by holding onto just one side of the handle and see how much it moves.

• when the child is over 65 pounds
• when the child can sit in a regular car seat without help
• when the child turns 4 years old
• after an accident where there was no airbag or if you were rear-ended at high speed (40 mph or faster) 
• if your baby has outgrown it, meaning that he’s taller than most children his age and weight exceeds 65 pounds 
• if your baby is less than 1 year old and weighs more than 20 pounds, then he needs to be riding in a rear-facing infant carrier until he reaches at least one year of age and weighs 20 lbs., but not more than 40 lbs., which would require him to be riding in a convertible car seat instead of an infant carrier

Car seats expire six years after they are manufactured. You should not use an expired car seat and you should discard it in a way that will prevent anyone from using it again. The best way to do this is to cut the straps, rendering it unusable, and then recycle the plastic shell.

• Check the expiration date and see if it has been expired for more than 10 years;
• If it is still in good condition, donate to a car seat charity or hospital;
• Throw away the car seat if it is expired and not in good condition;
• Donate any accessories that came with the car seat such as toys, books, or inserts;
• Clean up all loose straps and belts before throwing away your old car seat;
• Make sure you dispose of your old car seat properly by taking it to an authorized recycling center.