Safety info about babywearing & carseat use- from Kellymom's FB page

[swissair81]

A summary of M'liss Steltzer's presentation at
the 2010 International Babywearing Conference. In summary: hypoxia and positional
asphyxia are potential concerns for full-term, healthy newborns in
properly installed carseats. These studies advise that carseats NOT be
used outside of the car as baby carriers and that
...travel for newborns and young babies be limited to an hour or less at a
time. More in the comments... via Babywearing Safety

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/carseats.php



This is safety-critical information put together by babywearing safety expert M'Liss Steltzer -- it's about car seats and the lowered oxygen levels they can and do cause in newborns. Pretty much everyone uses bucket carseats so PLEASE SHARE widely -- carseats should stay in the car and be used for travel only, because bucket seats are NOT safe baby... See More carriers. Hypoxia & Positional Asphyxia Risk in Carseats: http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/showthread.php?404082-Hypoxia-amp-Positional-Asphyxia-Risk-in-Car-Seats

2009 study of healthy, full-term infants: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/124/3/e396

2000 study including full-term infants: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/108/3/647 Because lowering of oxygen saturation values was seen uniformly in all newborn infants, car seats should be used only for travel, and travel should be minimized during the first months of life.

Quebec coroner warns that leaving babies to sleep in carseats increases their risk of suffocation, after a 2 month old boy died in his carseat. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/car-seats-can-kill-sleeping-babies-coroner-warns/article969948/

[ourbabygirl]

Wow... thanks for sharing!
I have a baby due this fall, and I will definitely be sure not to let him sleep/ be in a car seat more than an hour at a time, if possible. Luckily DD wasn't the type of baby who liked being in her car seat much (in the car or otherwise), so I was never able to just let her sleep there for long periods of time.

[daisymommy]

Huh. All 3 of my kids totally hate being in the infant carseat, and I wonder if they can feel that they aren't getting enough oxygen.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I wish more people took this seriously. I know sometimes babies need to be in there longer for trips and an occasional long day. It's obviously safer to be in a carseat too long than not using a carseat. But, the carseat habit- using it for everything outside of the car- is just too much.

Beth

[maestramommy]

And yet there are quite a few babies that only sleep in their carseats the first few months. I guess the common sense rule is try not to, unless you have no other option. My kids were infant seat haters as well, but sometimes I'd be jealous of the parents whose child was in the travel system at the mall, snoozing so peacefully.

[Uno-Mom]

I saw this on BabyWearing Safety FB page and linked it to my page. I got lots of feedback from my FB friends. I suggest everybody share!

Babywearing is our style and I'm all for everybody doing what works for them, even if it's different than what we like. But I have been weary of the bad press that's hit baby wearing lately. When it all came out, I had DD in her sling (she was tiny). So many well-meaning people tried to caution us out of it!

From the beginning, my question was: "how many babies have been incidentally hurt from being carried and left in car seats?" What do the stats show? I was just thinking about being dropped, bumped or not securely re-hooked into the car. Not the oxygenation issues.

I guess the lesson is that whatEVER works for parents and their baby, we have to be careful and observant. Whether it's using a sling, carrier or baby bucket - or all three at different times!

[Edensmum]

I felt several times that ds was having a hard time in the keyfit 30. Installed properly and level, but still I felt he was chin to chest too much. He would start to make a funny noise with each breath. I kept taking him out. He hated being in it too, and seems to be getting better just now at 6 months. I was sort of paranoid about it after I saw it the first time.
I am also constantly checking on him while in the sling, but that's so much easier to adjust/control his position in.

[GonnaBeNana]

All 4 of mine were in their infant seats as much as necessary and my 4th slept in there almost exclusively for the first few months. She has asthma and that's the ONLY way she could sleep. Parents have to keep an eye on their kids. There's no substitute for common sense.

Beth

[swissair81]

I've had 3 with reflux & I've definitely been tempted to let them sleep in the car seat. I started co-sleeping instead & babywearing during the day. Also a good pediatric GI who worked tirelessly until my kids were comfortable all day & night.