Protecting children from winterís cold temperatures by padding them with extra clothing is fine for outdoor activities but not so for riding in a car seat.According to consumerreports.org, adding layers of clothing is dangerous in relation to car seats. The bulk of heavy winter coats or even just a sweater can affect the harness fit in a crash, possibly causing an ejection that was otherwise preventable. ìKids should be in regular indoor clothing in their car seats with a maximum of a single-layer fleece on inside the harness,î said Dani Tobey, owner of Baby Cotton Bottoms and a Child Passenger Safety Technician. ìThese clothes are pre-compressed and wonít affect the harness fit in a crash. Once the child is in the seat with their chest clip up at armpit height and snug enough at the shoulder that you cannot pinch any slack vertically at the collar bone, you’re good.îTobey said parents can place a heavier coat or blanket over the child once the harness is fastened and properly adjusted. ìAlso, these rules about heavy clothing do apply to older children and adults in seat belts,î she said. ìClothing compression can be very dangerous in a crash if it interferes with belt or harness fit.îAnyone transporting children should regularly check that the straps are at the correct height for the child as they grow. They should be ìat or below the shoulders for rear-facing children, and at or above the shoulders for forward-facing,î Tobey said.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that toddlers face the rear of the car until they are at least 2 years old. ìI believe children should face the rear for as long as possible,î Tobey said. ìA 3-to-4-year-old child is 532 percent safer from neck excursion and internal decapitation if they are facing rear. With careful choosing of a convertible seat, most kids can face the rear until around age 4 to 5, sometimes longer. When the spinal cord ossifies, it is better to withstand the forces of a crash forward-facing.îTobey said parents often express concern about their children’s legs being cramped when they face the rear. ìNo cases of broken legs have occurred from ‘criss-cross, applesauce,’ which tends to be more comfortable for children than dangling legs, anyway,î she said. ìHave you seen the crazy ways small children sit comfortably? Trust me, it’s not a problem.îEach car seat is different ñ itís important to check the car seat manual for maximum height and weight requirements, both for rear-facing and also for LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) versus seat belt installation. According to a Babble.com recently published article, new recommendations for LATCH require that the combined weight of the child and the car seat should not exceed 65 pounds. ìCar manufacturers cannot guarantee the strength of the anchors when adding the additional weight of the seat; thus, the need to modify the law,î said Beth Anne Ballance in her article, ìParenting You Need to Know: Car Seat Law Changes in 2014.îìI believe children should be harnessed until at least age 5, preferably older, until they can sit up and correctly keep their belt right 100 percent of the time,î Tobey said. ìThis includes no bending over, no slouching down because they’re bored or sleeping and no twisting around or putting the belt under their arms, ever.î She said that once the child can sit correctly, they can graduate to (and remain in) a booster seat until a minimum of 8 years of age and a height of 4 feet 9 inches, which is the law. They can move out of a booster when they can pass the five steps as outlined by the National Highway Safety Administration:1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?If one still isn’t certain about proper installment, fit or adjustment with a car seat, there are technicians available, usually at police or fire stations; or one can check safekids.org and click ìGet Your Car Seat Checkedî to find a technician. Tobey said Kohls Cares also has a car safety program, which operates through Memorial Hospital. The program offers regular local car seat check events.
