CAR SEAT TECHS/OR ANYONE WHO KNOWS: There is mention on a thread that baby car seats are safer than Convertibles is this true???

[mama2be]

YIKES...I have a Convertible and am just amazed if this is true...I didn't think one was 'safer" over the other...Though an co-worker of mine lost his baby (one of a twin) when he rocked his carrier off of a table.
I feel this important info to share if the case especially since my baby is in a convertible...and baby two is planned to me in a convertible (Marathon)...
I will of course change my plans if the other is safer...

can you all shed some light on this for us...

[Calmegja]

Neve,

I asked for reference. I have been a carseat safety freak forever, and I have never, ever ran across anything like that.

I actually thought, and I'm probably wrong, that some techs feel that an infant carrier in a base was not as secure as a convertible or an infant seat strapped directly into the car (without the base). I think proper installation and locking would eliminate this, but I thought I've read it as a concern.

Not that there was an exponential difference, but I thought I read that somewhere.....

[em_jon98]

Neve,
I think the thought is that newborns and small/young infants fit better in a smaller, infant carseat rather than a big convertible seat. It is not to be said that a young, small baby is necessarily safer in an infant seat just because an infant seat is safer, but that they will probably fit better into an infant seat, therefore making the seat a little safer choice.

Most babies Tristan's age and size should fit rather well in a convertible seat.

HTH

[Joolsplus2]

But there is ONE case where an infant is MUCH safer in an infant seat than a convertible: when the convertible an overhead shield seat. OHS seats are very dangerous to infants, since the harness is difficult to adjust snugly and baby's head is at or even under the level of the shield, creating a major likelihood of slamming that little head into it in a crash.

When people lump all convertibles together in the same category (5-pt and OHS), then it's easy to understand why they would be under the misconception that infant seats are inherently safer for infants, but when you understand that the AAP flatly denounces OHS use for newborns and babies (and any child wearing glasses), and that most or all techs will tell you that a 5-pt convertible seat is safe for a newborn.

The average non-carseat-geek doesn't know how dangerous OHS seats are for babies (or for any kid, really), and to even have an inkling that infant seats are preferred is actually pretty good, IMO. :) (See, that way, people will put their newborns in infant seats rather than OHS, so even though it's a misunderstanding, it's for the better :) )

[stillplayswithbarbies]

When we attended the car seat safety class before our baby was born, we took our Fisher Price Stay In View infant seat and our Britax Roundabout convertible to class with us. (everyone thought the Cowmooflauge was very cool!)

The tech told us that it was a good thing we had an infant seat because some babies are not tall enough at birth to be able to safely use the lowest strap positions on a convertible seat. You don't know until your baby is born whether they will fit or not, and the Roundabout has one of the higher slots on the lowest position. In the rear facing position, the straps are to be "at or above" the shoulders, but I guess it is possible for it to be too far above the shoulders causing the baby to move too much in a crash.

Another potential problem is that the seat area is wider in a convertible and a newborn may slump to one side, so the harness is then too loose even though it was tight when you started.

We used the infant seat at first, so it was not an issue.

The "safest" seat is any one that is used properly and correctly. I believe the thinking is that it is easier to use an infant seat correctly and therefore that makes it "safer", so that may be where the idea that an infant seat is safer than a convertible comes from.

I'd like to say that since the manufacturer says the seat is safe from 5 lbs and up, you can trust that and feel safe with any convertible. But they still sell those overhead shields and they are not safe, so we can't trust the manufactuers, can we?

*Edited to say that I was incorrect in what I said, the straps should be "at or BELOW" the shoulders for rearfacing.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[JElaineB]

>In the rear
>facing position, the straps are to be "at or above" the
>shoulders, but I guess it is possible for it to be too far
>above the shoulders causing the baby to move too much in a
>crash.

In the rear-facing position, the harness slots for the straps should be AT OR BELOW the baby's shoulders. The should be at or above only when the seat is turned forward facing. I have the Roundabout and I think the pictures in the manual are very confusing in this regard.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Oh my goodness, you are correct of course. I mistyped that. I had the image in my head as I was typing and still got it wrong. Thank you for correcting me.

But anyway, that is the reason that a convertible might not work for an infant.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[Joolsplus2]

Just for further info on the subject, I spoke with a tech (CL-Momika, from the ParentsPlace board)...she referred me to the technical page at www.carseat.org

>>> For a rear-facing CR, use slots that are at or just below the child's shoulders. In a frontal collision, the shoulder straps wrapping downward prevent a larger baby from "ramping" or sliding up above the top of the CR, possibly resulting in head or neck injury. If the lowest slots are still above an infant's shoulders, especially in convertibles, try an infant-only restraint instead. For newborns, if the lowest slots available are still above the shoulders, be sure the harness retainer clip holds the shoulder straps over the chest. Because of the child's short body and light weight, the risk of excessive ramping in this case is minimal<<<


She also quoted me the instructions that used to be on all Britax seats "the shoulder straps must come out of the slots in the cover and shell nearest the top of your child's shoulders. if in doubt always use the next slot above the shoulder rather than below it"

They changed their recommendations to prevent confusion with regards to other seats that state "at or below". Notably, Fisher Price seats also designed their seat so that the harness straps are "at or above" when RF.

One more noteworthy aspect of the situation is this, also from carseat.org >>> In frontal crashes, which are the most frequent and severe, the primary restraint surface is the back of the shell, and the harness provides secondary containment during rebound.<<<

Anyway, it's interesting stuff :)

[em_jon98]

I would totally agree with you about the OHS vs 5 pt., but I knew that Neve had a Marathon. I guess I was more trying to specifically answer her, and forgot that others may need the reminder about not getting an OHS for any child, especially a small infant.

Thanks for the reminder.

[ddmarsh]

Neve I found the following on a Parents Place discussion:

"I've also heard that newborns are safer in an infant seat than rear-facing in a convertible. Would my baby be better off in a 3-pt infant seat than rear-facing in the FPSE convertible that I plan to buy anyway? I do like the convenience of the infant seat/carriers, but if it isn't going to be any safer I may consider skipping it and going straight to the FPSE."
- depends on how big your baby is. A tiny newborn will have a hard time getting a good fit from a full-size convertible harness, bigger babies will fit better. Experts do not advise against using a convertible for an average newborn, as long as they seem comfortable and the harness fits well, but it may not on some babies in some seats. Getting the correct angle of recline is crucial for newborns too, 45 degrees]


Debbie
Mommy to 3 DS's, 1 DD

[CPSDarren]

Rear-facing seats are very safe if used properly. A newborn or infant is going to have very good crash protection in any rear-facing seat, infant or convertible, provided it is used according to the instructions. As Julie said, it is the shell of a rear-facing seat that provides the protection in the most common and severe crashes. Rear-facing seats are also a bit more tolerant of harness misuse, and that's also a reason why 3-point harnesses can be used safely on rear-facing models.

That said, both convertibles and infant seats vary quite a bit on how they fit newborns and small infants. While on average it is probably the case that infant seats may fit small babies better, there are certainly some convertibles that are also good choices. There are also some infant seats that don't fit small babies well. The only way to be sure is to look at one in person:-) In our program, we distribute both Cosco Tourivas and Evenflo Titan 5 convertibles to expecting parents. Both tend to be reasonable on small babies, though they may not be ideal for every one.

The choice is mostly up to the parent, and often more a choice of convenience rather than safety.

Darren
www.Car-Safety.Org