The Britax Roundabout, a popular convertible car seat.

All About Car Seats

There are three main types of car seats on the market today. First, the infant car seat is designed for the youngest of children, up to 20 or 22 pounds. Most of these seats have two parts, the base which stays strapped in to the vehicle's safety belt system and the carrier which snaps out and allows the baby to be carried without unfastening the infant from the harness (very important if Baby has finally fallen asleep!) The infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing, where the infant faces the rear of the vehicle. It is important for infants to be seated rear facing for the first year of life, until the muscles of the neck are strong enough to withstand the force an accident could impose on them.

A second type of car seat is called the convertible seat, and is designed for newborns through toddlers, or up until 40 pounds. This seat is designed to be used rear-facing for the first year of life, or up until the weight restrictions (usually 30 pounds). After this, the seat can face forward until the child reaches the upper weight limit, usually 40 pounds, although some car seats can be used longer. The most popular type of harness system for infants and toddlers is the five-point system, where the child is clipped by a series of three clips designed to evenly disperse the force of impact. The five-point system is highly recommended, although other systems (such as the three-point or overhead bar) may still be available.

After the child graduates from the convertible seat, it's time for a booster seat. These seats no longer use a separate harness system, the child and seat are both strapped directly into the vehicle's seat belt. The booster is designed to raise the child up in the seat so the vehicle's harness can function correctly. Booster seats should be used until the child is 80 pounds, at which time the child will be ready for the use of the regular seat belt. While some boosters are rated for children as light as 30 pounds, it is important to keep children in the 5-point restraint systems for as long as possible.

AAP - Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families - 2005

American Academy of Pediatrics - 2005 Family Shopping Guide to Car Seats ... your car on how to correctly install car safety seats. Rear-facing seats. All infants should ride rear-facing ...

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Infant Car Seats Reviews: Product Reviews Comparison Reports -...

ConsumerSearch.com reviews the reviews of infant car seats, as well as hundreds of other products. The site identifies which products reviewers like...

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The Wallaby Car Seat Insert for Premature Infants

...shoulder harness slots. However, most car seats have harness systems that will not fit.....slots. It is ideally suited for stabilizing infants with tracheostomies, gastrostomies ...

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Infants and Car Seats

... babies A-Z FEATURES Quizzes Videos Experts Glossary Sponsors About Lamaze International Infants and Car Seats by Deborah Freud Baer Very young babies have a special set of needs when ...

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Child Passenger Safety

Usage and installation tips. Booster seat information. Restraint laws. Recalls. Air bags. Training programs.

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Welcome to Gracobaby.com

Manufacturer of Graco and Century brand items such as swings, highchairs, playards, strollers, and car seats.

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Respiratory Instability of Term and Near-Term Healthy Newborn Infants

This Article. Services. PubMed. Related Collections. PEDIATRICS Vol. 108 No. 3 September 2001, pp. 647-652. Respiratory Instability of Term and Near-Term Healthy Newborn Infants in Car ...

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Baby Car Seats, Inc.

Baby Car Seats, Inc. shopping directory Shop for baby car seats, and child car seats Choose your price range Choose your brand Baby Car Seats (By Brand) Britax baby car seats Cosco baby car ...

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car seats for infants - Car This & Car That

...grayco car seats | britax roundabout car seats | infants car seats | latch system car.....car seats | race car seats | car seats for infants | child safety car seats.....Here: Car This & ...

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