Car Seat Safety: Never Let Your Child Sleep In A Car Seat

A car seat is one of the most important and indispensable baby products you can own. It’s not just something the law requires while driving and ensuring your child’s well-being; it also has the capacity to save the little one’s life.

Yet new studies raise doubts about the safety of letting children sleep in their car seat. At the same time, they advise caution regarding the use of winter coats when placing your baby in these chairs.

You should definitely not stop putting your baby in a car seat while driving. No one doubts the effectiveness of car seats when used properly. But car seats are no longer seen as a suitable place to put your child to sleep.

We know that most mothers who read this have probably done so  and may be concerned. But it is a problem that can be solved.

We all know very well that the car seat belts prevent the child from moving around while driving. And the straps certainly provide safety as well, helping to avoid injuries in the event of an accident. But the car seat does not keep an eye on your baby. You can not just place your child in a car seat and leave him or her unattended.

When placing your child in his car seat while driving, keep an eye on it. You need to make sure that your baby is sitting comfortably, that the diaper is dry, that he is not hungry and that he is not getting motion sickness.

How can I prevent my child from falling asleep in his car seat?

No mother expects her child to stay awake during a long drive. The most common and wisest thing to do is to allow the child to take a short nap: it makes time go by faster and prevents her from getting bored.

So, of course, it is practically impossible to prevent your child from falling asleep in the car, let alone unthinkable and unreasonable. Nevertheless, the little one’s safety must come first.

Experts warn that the position your baby is in plays a very big role in relation to whether she is in the danger zone. And if a child is left out of sight by an adult in its car seat, it can easily lean so much forward that its airways were blocked.

All specialists agree that a safe car seat should be used every time you travel with the little ones. In fact, they insist that car seats be used even on the shortest trips. However  , a dangerous situation arises when a child is allowed to sleep unattended in a car seat in an inappropriate position.

Cot death

A study, conducted by British researchers, revealed that there is a direct risk of suffocation when children are allowed to sleep in their car seats. However, this scenario can be avoided 100% if an adult stays nearby, is aware of the child’s position in the car seat and ensures that the child can always breathe effortlessly.

For us as parents, it sometimes happens that we get used to letting our children sleep in their car seats, even when we are in the safe confines of the home. This is also a mistake. Sometimes we simply just take the car seat in and let our child continue to sleep.

However, in a study of 40 cases of cot death, experts found that almost 23% of children were wearing seatbelts for their car seats when the symptoms appeared.

In the study, 8 out of 9 of the children who suffered from cot death symptoms while sitting in their car seats had fallen asleep while driving. These babies had begun to suffer while in an inclined or half-upright position.  Their symptoms included lack of breathing weakness in the muscles and a bluish skin color.

We would like to clarify that although the babies had the symptoms of cot death, they responded positively to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques used at the medical clinic where the examination took place. At the same time, it is important to note that the study focused on real-world emergencies. Therefore, the consequences of the episodes could not be measured completely.

Recommendations

• It is important to always keep an eye on your child to ensure that he or she does not lean forward. It is especially important to ensure that the baby’s mouth does not touch its breast.
• Avoid leaving your child in the car seat for extended periods of time. This means that you must take the child out of the car seat as soon as you have reached your destination. At this point, take your baby out and thus allow him or her to be in a safe position.

• Experts recommend that you stop regularly for longer journeys to give your child a break from the car seat.
• Never leave your child unattended in an auto safety seat.
• If a child appears to have breathing problems, pat the child lightly on the back and shake it gently to revive it. If necessary, bring your child to the nearest emergency room.