Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

When children have outgrown their infant car seats, they can move to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats can be used rear-facing or forward-facing but they need to meet certain weight and age requirements.

Car seats should never be placed in front of a seat equipped with airbags, as the force of the air bag can be lethal for babies and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents wonder if an infant car seat may be placed on top of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason for this is quite simple: If a crash happens, the child could have their head hit by an airbag, especially if they are in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a baby.

This is why infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing only. The backrest of the seat is positioned against the back of the vehicle seat in the event of a crash, providing the best protection for your baby.

In addition, a rear-facing car seat protects the head and neck of your child better than a forward facing infant car seat-facing one which offers only a small amount of head and neck protection. The headrest also stops the child from sliding off the shoulder straps during a crash and the harness will keep the chest clip in place above your child's shoulders.

It's important to keep it in mind that there have been ZERO reported instances of children in forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they strike the rear of the vehicle seat. This occurs when a child's feet fly upwards and get stuck against the rear of the seat, which puts enormous pressure on the leg bones. This is not something you should put your child at risk of.

There are numerous programs in the United States for parents who qualify to receive free or discounted infant car seat travel car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to get your child in a secure car seat before they get out of it. It can be used for a number of years.

The majority of the modern infant car seat for travel car seats have a base that they click into and out of, which makes them much easier to use than older models. This feature is particularly useful for families with small children because you can keep the car seat on and ready for use even when you switch vehicles.

Before you put your child in the car seat check if the car seat back will touch the vehicle seat's back by measuring the middle of the seat and measuring it using a tape to determine. This area is a test that can be done with a variety of objects, including the blade of a key or the length wireless earbuds. Then, check the car seat's instructions and the owner's manual of your vehicle to determine whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to eliminate this space.

2. Harness Position

Newborns and preemies often fall into a dangerous chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy chairs, strollers, swings and other equipment for children. In a crash the children could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. To avoid this, check that the straps on your shoulder start slightly below and come upwards over the shoulders of the child and ensure that you tighten them. The straps must be secure enough to hold the excess fabric to each other. This is called the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats can interfere with this, so be sure to remove them before buckling your child in their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break in a crash, but it may cause a child's throat to collapse in the event that it's too high or if the chest straps are loose. The chest clip should not be placed in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level.

In a crash, infants who are rear-facing will likely slide down the seat. The harness straps should be sufficient to support the child's neck and head. It is essential to put the straps on the shoulders. If the straps are too high they can slip over the baby's ears or slide through the opening in their neck, and if they are too loose they can move toward the child's nose.

Make sure the shoulder straps are snugly fitted and in the slots above or at the child's shoulders. Infants may require an infant insert (often included with the car seat inserts for newborns seat) to lift them up so their shoulders reach this slot. Some infant car seat travel car seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors that help with this and you should always refer to the instructions included with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents may be tempted to flip their infant car seat to face forward because of their child's legs getting too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason to do it. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing because the baby's neck and spine are supported in the event of an accident. Children who are facing forwards are thrown backwards by the vehicle and can cause serious injury.

Additionally, a lot of infant car seats come with a built-in angle indicator so you can be sure the seat is properly installed. You also need to ensure that your child's head rests flat against the seat, and that the harness straps are placed over their shoulders, not beneath their arms or twisted. You can pinch a tiny bit of fabric at their shoulders to ensure that the harness is snug enough. It is also essential to examine the strap that holds the crotch to be sure it is in line with the armpits and not at the waist. You should also review the manual of your infant car seat to ensure that you know how to use it properly.

Most manufacturers advise that children ride rear-facing in their car seats until they are at least one year old, or until they reach the weight and height limit of their particular car seat. Some states have laws requiring infants to be rear-facing for a minimum of two years.

Install the Infant Car Seat In Front Seat car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle that only has one back seat. This will allow you to view your child comfortably through the rearview mirror without having to bend over. It's also helpful to place the car seat on the driver's side, so you do not have to walk all the way around your vehicle each time you want to put your baby in or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two rear seats, the infant car seat can be placed on either side, as that it is not in the airbag's direction on the passenger-side. However, if you have to choose between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, put it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

All children who outgrow their car seat for infants by weight or height must use a booster seat until their vehicle seat belt fits them properly. This can only be done when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats can assist in positioning the lap belt and shoulder properly. They also limit the distance that a neck moves in collisions, reducing the risk of injury. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the main cause.

If the booster is not used correctly, the lap portion of the belt may slide up and over the child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in an accident. This is avoided by using a belt guide on the booster that prevents the lap belt from sliding onto a child's stomach, or climbing over armrests.

A lot of boosters come with small handles, armrests, or guide slots that allow you to keep the lap belt low and flat across the child's upper thighs. This will ensure that the lapbelt begins and remains on the hipbones of a child's strength instead of moving upwards into their abdominal area during the event of a crash.

Certain booster seats are designed with an automatic seat belt locking mechanism to keep the belt in place when the child is in it, and this can help in preventing the lap belt from slipping up over the abdomen of a child. This may also help stop the seat belt from being pulled over a child's face, which could lead to airway obstruction and hypoxia, as also neck strain.