Types
There are different types of child safety seats for children of different sizes and ages.
- Infant seats - Child safety seats made specifically for infants are the smallest and have carrying handles for easy carrying and loading. Newborns are most often placed in a rear-facing seat. These seats are designed for infants is up to 10 to 14 kg (22 to 32 lbs) depending on the model.
- Convertible seats - Similar to the infant seat, the convertible seat can be used in a rear- or forward-facing position and is used for children typically beginning at 5 pounds up to 50 pounds. The rear-facing position is used for children who have not exceeded at minimum 20 pounds and are at least two years old. Research studies and crash test results show that children are safer in a rear-facing child safety seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children in a rear-facing seat until “they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer” (www.healthychildren.org).
Some seats allow the child to stay rear-facing until 35 pounds. Once the child has reached the minimum requirements to be forward facing, the seat can be turned around and used as a forward-facing seat.
- Combination seats - The combination seat or five point booster is a forward-facing seat that has a five point harness system. It can be modified to a belt positioning booster by removing some webbing
- Booster seats - The earlier described combination seat can become a high back belt positioning booster. There is also a high back belt positioning booster that is available for that purpose only. The other type of belt positioning booster is the low back or no back booster. The major differences between the low and high back booster seats are head support and improved protection in side-impact collisions. Vehicles with a bench seating and no headrest are required to use a high back booster. The purpose of the booster seats is to provide elevation to the child so the shoulder belt rests appropriately on the shoulder blade and does not ride up the child’s neck. It also provides “hips” that the seat belt can rest securely across and remain on the large bones of the child instead of resting across the soft tissue of the abdomen. This seat is available for children over 40 pounds up to over 100 pounds. From the ages of eight to twelve, children may have outgrown their booster seats and can be permitted to use regular adult seat restraints. It is suggested that, until the age of thirteen, the child remains in the back seat.
Read more about this topic: Infant Car Seat
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