Do I still Need A Booster?

My daughter just turned 7 yrs old this past Jan. She is 40lbs, and is 37 1/2 in. tall. We have her in the Britax BodyGuard. Her poor hear flops everywhere when she is trying to sleep.

First, I just wanted to see if anyone thought she might be too big for a carseat. My hubby wants to give this one to our younger daughter, and get this daughter the carseat that is just the bottom part. We live in Maryland, and I can't seem to find the regulations, but without looking it sounds like she doesn't need one any more, but the hubby says I'm wrong.

Second, is there anything I can use in the car to help her head from going everywhere when she is trying to sleep.

A backless booster might work if you have tall enough seatbacks. If the top of her ears are even with or taller than the top of the vehicle headrest already, then she really should have a high back booster to protect her head and neck in a collision. Having said this though, HBB's are really much safer than just a low-back booster. LBB's really only offer protection from internal injuries caused by the seatbelt not fitting properly, while HBB's offer additional head protection in a side impact.

This site has the criteria for putting a child in a vehicle seatbelt only:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/CPS/UsingItRigh...lt_systems.htm

Here's what the AAP says about it:
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

Seat belts

Your child is ready to use lap and shoulder seat belts when the belts fit properly.
This means

The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
The lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, not the stomach.
The child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her legs bent without slouching and can stay in this position comfortably throughout the trip.
Remember, seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he should stay in a booster seat until the adult seat belts fit him correctly. This is usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age.

Other points to keep in mind when using seat belts

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the back.
If there's only a lap belt, make sure it's snug and low on the child's thighs, not across the stomach. Try to get a lap and shoulder belt installed in your car by a dealer.
Never allow children or anyone else to "share" seat belts. All passengers must have their own car safety seats or seat belts.
A warning about seat belt adjusters

There are products on the market that claim to make seat belts fit better. They attach to the seat belt but are not a part of the original belt. These products may actually interfere with proper lap and shoulder belt fit by causing the lap belt to ride too high on the stomach and making the shoulder belt too loose, and may even damage the seat belt itself. No federal standard ensuring the effectiveness and safety of these after-market products has been developed. In addition, most vehicle and car safety seat manufacturers do not recommend their use. Until the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration develops safety standards for these products, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends they not be used. As long as children are riding in the correct car safety seat for their size and age, they do not need to use any additional devices.


hth!

You might want to look into a Toddler Coddler for the head flopping issue: https://www.inventiveparent.com/toddlercoddler.htm

Or you might want to get a different high back booster for her that reclines with the car seat, like the new Fisher Price "Safe Voyage" booster (Actually made by Britax, replaces the Britax Starriser Comfy):
http://www.elitecarseats.com/Fisher-...ge-Booster.pro

hth!


ETA: after posting this I realized that elitecarseats.com does still have some of the Starriser Comfy's in stock also. They have been discontinued so you can get a break on the price right now if you buy that model instead.

http://www.elitecarseats.com/Britax-Starriser-Comfy.pro

hth.

Thanks for keeping her in a booster this long, and yes, she absolutely MUST be in one...she's not even meeting the requirements for the Bodyguard (43 inches and 40 pounds), unless she's actually taller than you think she is? The Britax Parkway has better sleep support than the Bodyguard...obviously a no back booster would have no sleep support at all, and no side impact protection, so I'm not sure that's what I'd go for.
Kids NEED to be in boosters till they are about 4 foot 9 to 5 feet tall and about 80 pounds...seatbelts are designed for 5 foot 9, 160 pound men...so smaller kids really aren't as well protected by them (sorta like shoes...if she can't wear your shoes and run across a gravelly parking lot without them falling off, she can't wear your seatbelt and survive a crash without 'ejecting' or flying around).

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx