Car Seats Aren't Safe When Used in the Home

"Put babies in a playpen or crib if you need to keep them safe from pets or siblings. Use a car seat only as a travel device"

Or just don't put them in any type of 'pen' -- carry them in a sling.

We need to lose this societal notion we've developed that babies need to be penned up in some kind of plastic container. 90% of your household goings-on can be accomplished with baby in a sling, baby is happier so you have more free time to do said household goings-on without having to take extra time to care for a cranky baby. Plus there are tons of advantages to baby's development (proprioceptic, social, etc etc) and they spend more time in the 'quiet alert' state where they learn and grow and absorb the most. It's really a win-win-win no-brainer!

Also, this article only addresses the risks of falls involving car seats. It doesn't even touch on the low oxygenation issue which has been well-known (yet oddly, not widely publicized) since at least last fall with some published studies. Healthy, term infants can suffer drastically reduced oxygen levels when left in a car seat, and the longer they're in there the worse it gets. Preemie and low-weight babies are at even greater risk. There have even been deaths due to this.

So it's not just getting rid of car seats in shopping carts -- we need to stop using the "travel systems" where baby doesn't need to be taken out of their bucket from house to car to stroller and back again, rarely getting a bit of human contact. And how is carrying a 9lb baby in a 20lb seat supposed to be a more convenient option than your arms or a sling? Don't start with the argument of "I don't want to wake them when they're sleeping" -- sleeping in a car seat is precisely what has been found to be extremely dangerous for oxygenation!

heather d 10:00PM July 19, 2010