Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children outgrow their car seats as infants, they can move into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seats can be used rear-facing or forward-facing but they need to meet certain weight and age specifications.

Car seats should not be placed in front of a vehicle seat with airbags, since the force of the deployed airbag could be fatal for infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason is simple: When a crash occurs the child's head may be hit by an airbag if in the front seat. The result is that the airbag can injure or kill the lightweight baby car seat.

This is the reason why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. In the event of a crash, the seat's back will be positioned against the rear of your car seat. This will provide the most security for the infant.

Additionally, a rear-facing car seat protects the neck and head of your child more than a forward-facing seat that offers only minimal neck and head protection. The headrest keeps your child from falling off the shoulder straps in an accident. The harness holds the chest clip up above the shoulders.

It's important to remember that there are ZERO instances of children in car seats that face forwards breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the front seat. This happens when a child's feet rise and become caught against the back of the seat, putting enormous pressure on the leg bones. This is not something you want to put your child in danger of.

There are a variety of programs in the United States that provide cheap infant car seats car seats at a reduced price or at no cost to parents who qualify. This is a great opportunity to get your child in a secure car seat before they get out of it. It is a great option for children to use for many years.

The base of many newer infant car seat models is designed to be removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is particularly beneficial for traveling with young kids because you can keep the car seat installed and ready to use even when changing vehicles.

Find the center of the car seat and measure it using the help of a tape. Many things, such as the blade of a key for the house or the length of earbuds that are wireless are approximately 1.5 inches long and can be used to determine this space. Then, check the instructions for your car seat and vehicle owner's manual to see if you can adjust the angle of the car seat to eliminate the space.

2. Harness Position

Preemies and infants often are prone to fall into a risky chin-to-chest position in infant car seats, bouncy seats strollers, swings and other children's equipment. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the straps on the harness that are loose or not placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, check that the straps for your shoulders start slightly below and come upwards over the shoulders of the child and be sure to tighten the straps. The straps should be tight enough to allow you to squeeze any fabric that is not tight enough which is known as the Pinch Test. The bulky outer layers of winter coats can hinder this so be sure to remove them prior to buckling your child in their seat.

The chest clip was designed to protect against a fall, but it can compress the neck of a child if it's too low or if they are not tight enough. It is also essential that the chest clip not in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be positioned at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash, rear-facing infants are more likely to slide across the seat and the harness straps need to be able to hold the child's head and neck. This is why it's important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too high they may slide over the baby's ears or go through the opening in their neck, and if they're too loose, they could move towards the baby's nose.

Ensure the shoulder straps are over the shoulders of your child and they fit snugly. Newborns may require an infant insert (often included in the car seat) to raise their shoulders so they can fit into this slot. Some infant car seats come with angle indicators or adjustors that could assist you in this. You can also check the instructions included with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents might be tempted to flip their infant car seat cheap car seat around to face forward because of their child's legs getting too short in the rear-facing position, there is really no reason to do so. The rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing position because in the event of a crash, the baby's body will press against the seat, and their neck and spine will be supported. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle and can cause serious injury.

Many infant car seats also include an angle indicator built in to ensure that the seat is installed correctly. You also need to ensure that your child's head rests flat against the seat and that the harness straps are put over their shoulders, not beneath their arms or bent. To determine whether the harness is too tight it is best car seats newborn to squeeze a small amount of material on your child's shoulder. Check the crotch strap and make sure it is at the same height as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read the manual of your infant car seat so you are aware of how to use it correctly.

The majority of manufacturers recommend that children use rear-facing seats in their car seats until they reach at least 1 year old or until they have reached the height and weight limit of their particular car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to remain rear-facing until two years old.

If you have a vehicle with only one back seat, you can install the infant car seat in front seat car seat in the middle so you are able to easily see your child through your rearview mirror without having to lean back. It's also helpful to place the car seat on the driver's side so you don't have to walk all the way around your vehicle every time you want to put your baby in or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats, the infant car seat can be set on either side as long as it's not in the airbag's front on the passenger-side. If you have to choose between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, place it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

All children who exceed the size of their car seat for infants by weight and height must be fitted with a booster seat until the seat belt is fitted properly. This is only possible when they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the seat manufacturer's recommendations for exact measurements).

Booster seats can assist in positioning the lap belt and shoulder properly. They also decrease the distance that a child's head moves during a crash, which decreases the chance of injuries. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of kids ages 4-8, and head motion is the biggest culprit.

If a booster isn't properly used the lap belt could travel over a child’s abdomen and cause serious injuries in an accident. This is avoided by using a belt guide on the booster to stop the lap belt from sliding onto the stomach of a child or getting over armrests.

Many boosters are equipped with armrests, handles or guide slots that aid to keep the lap belt in a low and flat position across a child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lapbelt begins and remains on the strong hipbones of the child, rather than moving up into their soft abdomen area during an accident.

Some booster seats are equipped with the mechanism to lock the seat belt to ensure that the belt is locked in place while the child is in it, and this can help in preventing the lap belt from moving over the abdomen of a child. This will keep the seat belt from being pulled over a child's face. This can lead to airway obstruction and hypoxia, and neck strain.