Car seat awareness

Current recommendations from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents are:

• Keep car travel to a minimum in the first few months of life.
• Avoid keeping a young baby in a baby seat for longer than 30 minutes
• During journeys, frequent (eg half hourly) stops are recommended to ensure the baby does not adversely reposition themselves or overheat while in the car seat.
• Put the seat in the rear of the car, but never leave the child unattended in the seat. If you have to use the front seat – deactivate the airbag.
• Try to have someone else do the driving, so you can sit next to the baby to keep an eye on him/her, or have someone else next to them.
• Only use the baby seat in the car and not for feeding the baby or letting them sleep at home.
• Recline the baby seat as much as possible when in the car (making sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for fitting and using it).
• Clothing can affect how snugly the seat’s harness fits the child, so it’s important to check it is snug on every journey. It is not recommended that thick jackets or bodysuits are worn.
• If more than two fingers can fit between the child’s chest and the harness, it is too loose.
• Please only use positioners that are recommended by the specific car seat manufacturer.

Useful websites:

• https://www.childcarseats.org.uk/
• https://www.readysteadybaby.co.uk/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/child-car-seats-and-child-car-safety/
• https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx

If you need this information in another language or format, please e-mail:

Translation.Services@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk