head support in car seat

[anonymous]

I have the Graco Snugride DX5 infant car seat, which came with its own head support. Does anybody know what the guidelines are for how long you're supposed to keep using the head support? My son is only 2 months old, and already he seems squished in there. I was wondering if anyone has removed theirs, or if it's best to just keep it in there.

[tobymc]

I generally recommend against those head support things. They tend to put fabric behind the child's back, and thus introduce slack into the harness. However, since this one came with the seat, we know it was crash tested with the seat, and is technically OK.

However, once your child seems to have outgrown the need for it (or the size of it), it is probably better to remove it. It is only there to position his head and make him more comfortable. And because parents like them.

Toby, CPS tech

[srlarsen]

I just removed the head support in our Graco Snugride today. Our 12 week old is 24 1/2 inches long and it was a struggle to fit him into the seat with the support in place! It is working a lot better since I removed it, and he seems to be just as comfortable. Use your own judgment!

[Jadynsmom]

I also purchased a graco snugride for my son. I took the carseat to a carseat clinic (where they check to see if it's properly installed.) The woman told me to take out the head support and use a towel rolled up to support his head instead. Apparantly, the headrest that comes with the carseat is an extra layer between the baby and the carseat that is not safe. Also, she said any clothing thicker than sweatsuit material is not safe. She said she'd seen cases where babies had too much under them (head rest or snowsuit) and went flying out of their carseats in an accident, because they couldn't be strapped in tight enough with all the extra layers. Hope this helps!