Infant Car Seats are Not Beds

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By Cara Miller

We've all been there, just before you arrive home baby falls fast asleep in his infant carrier car seat. Do you bring him in the house and continue to let him sleep in his car seat or do you risk waking him to transfer him to his bed?

In a moving vehicle his car seat is crutial in keeping him safe, but did you know keeping him in that car seat for extended lengths of time can be dangerous? "The car seat is for the car. It is not for the bed or sleeping. It is for a car," said  Quebec coroner Dr. Jacques Robinson after a 2 month-old-boy suffocated in February 2008 when his mom placed him in a car seat after a restless night.

There's no doubt that car seats are a must for safety, but they should be limited to travel only and the seat must always be placed at the correct angle which is generally 45 degrees for young infants to help keep their arirways open while traveling in the car. Your car seat's manual will specify the correct angle for your model, you may need to use a pool noodle under the base to get the right angle. If in doubt have a certified child restraints systems technician inspect your seat.

If you do need to travel for extended trips, it's recommended that baby not spend more than two continuous hours in their car seat. Instead break up the trip and make more stops so you can take baby out of his seat more often.