The Car Ride Home

It's finally time to bring your new baby home! With such precious cargo, it is important for that you use a proper car seat. You can't leave the hospital without one! In fact, every state requires parents to have a child safety seat before you leave the hospital. It is never advisable to hold your baby in your arms, even for short trips, the risk is just too great,

There are two basic types of car seats for your child. Infant only seats, which must be replaced when your infant reaches 20 pounds, and the convertible seats that can be adjusted to fit children as they grow.

Infant only seats are rear-facing and have been shown to fit infants better than convertible seats. The law states that infants must be in rear-facing seats until they are a year old, and weigh at least 20 pounds. If your child exceeds 20 pounds before their first birthday, you will need to switch to a convertible seat to accommodate their weight, but remember to keep it rear-facing until they reach their first birthday!

Convertible seats can be turned to face forward after the aforementioned milestones are met (20 lbs and the first birthday).

"Travel Systems" include a stroller and an infant-only car seat, which can be attached to that stroller. Parents find this system useful for transferring their baby from the car to their stroller (especially when they are sleeping) and this might be a good option for you if you are a family on the go!

Never place a car seat in the front seat. Most accidents that occur affect the front of the car, and a deployed airbag would be bad news for an infant in the passengers seat.

Also, if it is cold, make sure to strap your child in securely first, and then place any blankets over the baby.

The most common problem involving car seats is improper installation (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the majority of all car seats are installed incorrectly). In recent years, new LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) car seats have become standard in the United States, but a large percentage of these seats are improperly installed too. Don't trust illustrations or store displays. Follow the manufacturer's instructions - and hang on to them. Ask your child's doctor or nurse about local resources where your car seat can be checked by someone specifically trained to evaluate car seat installations. Many hospitals, police and fire stations, and even car dealerships offer this type of service for free. Make sure that someone trained and experienced does the evaluation.

If you are purchasing a used car seat, or if you are renting one, it is important that you make sure there are no tears or cracks. Also, manufacturers provide an expiration date on every car seat, so be sure to check that it isn't past the recommended date of use. Even if it looks okay, it might still be structurally unsound. If you are looking to rent a car seat, you can check at your prenatal class, ask your doctor or hospital or healthcare provider (before your due date).

If your child has special needs, you should bring the car to the hospital ahead of time to make sure it will work for your child, or ask your child's physician for advise on the best car seat for them.