Knowledge is the first step toward success. How to Choose the Safest Car Seat for a Newborn?
In Polish hospitals, there is an unwritten rule that a parent who does not have a car seat for their child will not be allowed to leave the facility. In practice, however, various situations arise, especially when the happy parents want to be home with their newborn as soon as possible. You can find car seats that belonged to older siblings (who, by the way, will be celebrating their 18th birthdays soon), carrycots from strollers, or even baby carriers from a 3-in-1 set. And although each of these solutions can be rationally explained, none of them is safe for a newborn baby. Here are a few tips for choosing a safe car seat that could save your child’s life in the event of an accident.
1. Choose a car seat based on your car, not your stroller
Almost all infant and newborn car seats available on the market—the so-called “car seats”—can be attached to a stroller frame using special adapters. We have those at 3Kiwi, too. This is an extremely convenient solution, especially when a child falls asleep in the car and a parent has to run out for a quick errand. That's because you can remove the car seat from the car and transfer it to the stand without waking the little one. The problem arises when adapting the seat to a specific stroller model becomes so important that it almost completely overshadows the car seat’s key function. It's designed to protect your child's delicate body and neck while riding in the car. You don't have to be in an accident—sometimes all it takes is harder braking to cause injuries.
2. Choose the right weight class
According to the laws in our country, newborns and infants should ride in rear-facing car seats, and the best weight category for this purpose is 0–13 kg. Examples of this include, for example Cybex car seat Cloud Z. Some manufacturers offer baby carriers in the 0–10 kg or even 0–9 kg weight range, which significantly shortens the period during which it is safe to carry a child facing backward. Until recently, babies who reached the weight limit of 9 kgsuch a baby does not yet have sufficiently strong cervical vertebrae, to keep your head in place in case of a sudden jolt. That is why experts recommend carrying children in rear-facing car seats until they are 4. year of life. At 3Kiwi, we have the right car seats for this—see for yourself!
Is ISOFIX better, or should you use seat belts??
Since 1999, every car manufactured must be equipped with child car seat anchors, that is, the popular ISOFIX. However, there are still much older cars on Polish streets, in which installing a car seat secured by seat belts is the only option. When installed correctly, each of the outputs shown will ensure your little one’s safety. It's important to know that when installing a car seat using seat belts, you need to tighten the belts as much as possible so that the seat doesn't slip out of the belts in the event of sudden braking or a sharp turn..