do you use your 'base' for the childs carseat?

Question

I dont. Simply b/c when i put her in there, I hate to see her head all in that bent uncomfortable position, but I cant seem to shake the feeling that using the base is a bit more safe. I have the base installed, so I place my baby in back of the passenger seat. Is this safe? I always see ppl driving around like that, or is it idea that i place her without the base in the center of the car? or should i just use the base, and add pillows or cushion to keep her head in place???

So many ?'s, which is safest?

Graco SnugRide2 Infant Car Seat - Lindsey::: is the name of the carseat, I got it at babies r us. and my baby is now 16lbs, for those who asked, also, the comment on going to a firestation, we did go and they acted really rude, saying " all u have to do is read the manual" well yeah we did that but we were going to them for some confirmation or something that we had installed it properly.

Answer 1

Not using the base can be unsafe if your seatbelt doesn't lock. If you pull the seat belt as far as need it, sorta let it retract a little and then try pulling on it again, if it continues to come back out more then it isn't locked and you have a problem. You'll need to use the base. I have an older car and the seat belts don't lock. So I put the base in the middle of the backseat with the lap belt. I believe using the base is safer. And most bases have a adjustment underneath that allows it to hold the carseat back further, make sure yours is already adjusted all the way, if not, it could help to adjust it more.

Answer 2

Actually, car seat bases have been proven to be UNSAFE!!! During collision, the tiny inadequate clamps holding the carseat onto the base become unstable and let go of the seat, sending the seat sailing toward the front windshield. The base was supposed to make installing the carseat easier while maintaining proper installation. Unfortunately, the design doesn't work. Do NOT use the car seat base. Instead, use the seatbelt only. Each time you strap the seat in, pull the entire seatbelt out and then let it retract. Most seatbelts have a mechanism inside that catches once the belt has been extended all the way. This will lock the belt into place once you've snugged it all the way. Make sure that while you're doing this, the angle of the bucket is correct.

For further safety, check out the sites below. I actually purchased my carseats from England as European safety inspections are more stringent and detailed than in the USA (which I could barely believe but is true). Some people have issues with Britax. My first carseats were by Jeenay, but I'm not certain you can still purchase those (it was 15 years ago) and I couldn't find one when my youngest (15 months) was born so I use Britax.

Always register your carseat. That way, when there is an issue or a recall, they contact you and it happens VERY quickly. I knew about the Britax recall before mothering.com did. And they sent out the replacement right away. So, don't forget to register because it is worth it.

Addendum: for those of you wondering,...no, the carrying handled WAS NOT designed to be a "roll bar." I heard that from a male friend. The person who said that the handle needs to be all the way up was CORRECT. Part of the impact absorbing quality in the carseat is that handle in the correct position, which will absorb a great deal of the impact in a front-rear crash. If it is left in the carrying position, it will not be in the correct place to absorb impact and that force will be translated to the top of the carseat--where the baby's head is.

Answer 3

I attended a car seat safety class held by a state trooper (Fl) at Babies R Us. Here's what I learned:

*With or without the base doesn't matter as long as it's installed CORRECTLY. The base is for convenience, so you don't have to keep adjusting the car seat with each installation. Just click in/ click out. It should not affect the head position. It should always be at a 45 degree angle. If the head is too high (to the point that it falls forward, chin to chest), it can cut off baby's breathing passage.

ADD: You know, Mystic Eye and Baxter brought up some good points...how safe is using a PLASTIC base? I'm really questioning whether I should keep using it. After all isn't safety more important than saving a few minutes of time? I'll have to attend that class again and ask the state trooper.

*Do NOT add anything aftermarket to car seat (head rests, pillows, body snuggles, blankets...nothing under baby.) If baby's head rolls to side, you CAN add a rolled up receiving blanket around baby's head...not under. The reason is, the carseat was tested for impact absorbancy with and only with the cushions, headrests, and body snuggles it came with...if it didn't come with any, they weren't tested with that particular seat. It **could** impair performance (if you were in a collision).

*Center of the backseat is the safest place...furthest from the side doors and windows in case you are "t-boned"

*If you have side curtain airbags, turn them OFF if you have baby/child next to door...the force of the airbag can cause serious damage/death.

* Keep the baby/child rear facing as long as possible. When the baby/child is rear facing, the car seat cushions and protects him. In rear facing position, there is minimal risk of a broken neck. If baby's legs are longer, pushing against the back of the car's seat cross them (until you reach the maximum weight/height of the car seat). The chances of a broken leg are not high, but even if baby broke his leg, isn't that better than a broken neck?

Answer 4

Here's the deal - it is technically safer to not use the base. In car accidents sometimes the attachment to the base fails. HOWEVER you are less likely to install an infant seat correctly every time.

If her head is flopping forward then the base is not installed properly. The back support of the infant seat (ie where the baby's back rests) should be between 45-30 degrees. It should never be MORE THAN 45 degrees, but it should be as close to 45 degrees as needed to keep the babies head from flopping forward when awake.

Technically the rear center position is safest, as it is the most protected from side impacts. However in many cars the center hump or the position that the driver needs the driver's seat prevents the proper installation of the infant seat in the middle position. In which case you use the side position (either the passenger or driver's side, some parents obviously have to use both).

http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#infonly
Most infant-only restraints perform better in crash tests without their bases than with them, although the shell-only and shell-plus-base must both be tested to meet federal requirements. The flat-bottom base not only compresses the vehicle seat cushion more than the contoured shell, it also elevates the shell, raising the child’s center of gravity. The combination results in more downward rotation of the head-end of the shell and an increased risk of contact with the back of the front seat. There is also a chance that the shell could separate from the base in a severe crash, although recent base designs have reduced the likelihood of this happening. The base is a convenience feature and only improves protection of the infant to the extent that it may result in a more consistent and correct installation than would occur from reinstallation of the shell alone before every trip. (1/07)


http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#angleRF
The back surface of a rear-facing CR should be between 30° and 45° from vertical, starting with the most reclined angle for a newborn and becoming more upright as the baby grows. This recommendation is a balance between crash protection and comfort. If the CR is too upright, the head could flop forward uncomfortably and possibly pinch off the airway, especially for a newborn. If the CR is too reclined during a frontal crash, the infant could slide toward the top of the restraint, exposing the head to injury, especially for the larger, heavier baby.

[...]

To set an appropriate back angle for the child, install the CR in the car and put the baby in the CR with the buttocks in the deepest part of the CR and the baby's back straight. Jostle the CR a bit, and, if the baby's head flops forward (while awake or asleep), it is necessary to increase the angle. For infant-only restraints, some bases can be adjusted if more recline is needed, or a detachable base can be removed and the shell alone reclined a little more. Otherwise, for these and for convertibles, insert a tightly rolled towel or sheet or a foam "noodle" under the toe-end of the CR to compensate for the slope of the vehicle seat. Increase the angle of recline just enough to keep the baby's head from flopping forward, but no more than 45° from vertical.

http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#seatpos
In general, the single safest place in the car is the center rear seat, because it is farthest from the outside of the vehicle. In any given crash, however, a different seat may be the safest, such as a left outboard seat in a right side impact. There are several reasons the center seat may not be an option. Many small cars do not have center seats; it is sometimes not possible to tightly install a CR in the center rear; belt-positioning boosters require lap-shoulder belts, which may not be available in the center; and, if there are two children, it may be necessary to separate them for behavioral reasons or because two CRs cannot be installed next to each other. The left and right seating positions are very similar in injury risk, but the right side might be a better choice for one child with one adult. The child can see the driver and can be taken or get out of the car on the side where there is no traffic. Using the center or right rear seat will also minimize the chance of injury to the child from driver seatback collapse in a severe rear impact. Although most vehicles do not have LATCH anchors for the center seating position, CRs equipped with LATCH can still be installed in the center with the vehicle belt and a top tether, if appropriate.

Answer 5

I think it's safest with the base installed. If your baby is bent in all kinds of wierd contortions, then it's jsut not installed correctly and you should make an appointment to take it in to the firestation or a carseat inspection day to get it installed correctly. The safest place in the car changes with every passing year, but it's never going to be behind the passenger seat. That's what they referred to as "the death seat" when I was in drivers ed, because you are most likely to be impacted in that particular spot. Behind the driver's seat used to be considered the good spot, but in the past 5 years I think it has been and still is right in the middle of the back seat because you have a buffer zone on either side should their be an impact. They do sell lots of head support devices that help cusion and support, but it doesn't hurt your baby to have their head all drooped over looking like a picasso painting, it's just mostly or projecting the idea onto them.

Answer 6

I road with the base in one car and no base in the other car. It is safe to use no base or they would have to make it mandatory. As far as where to place them, I think the middle is only because to side impact collisions...but not 100%sure! With my first it was in the middle, now i have two so they were on each side!
When you put the car seat in make sure your move the handle towards the front, as far as it will go, that is the safest, i had heard of a baby getting hurt in an accident when the handle was up!

Answer 7

I don't understand something-when I use the base the car seat is in the same position just higher (The carrier should have a level on the side)-why would her head be bent?
I love the base because once you put it in place you don't have to adjust the seat belt every time; just click and go.
I have the base in the center backseat.

Answer 8

I thought rear facing behind the passenger seat was the safest location. It's what the manual for my carseat said, make sure you read yours for what they depict as the safest.

I might be misunderstanding your question, but the carseats with bases are not be be used without the bases. Again, my manual suggested rolling up a towel and placing beneath the base where it meets the seat of the car for a more reclined position. There's a regulation on how reclined the carseat should be according to your childs height/age/weight.
Either read the manual or give the make & model of the carseat you use.

Answer 9

The carseat in the base is the safest place as long as it's properly installed. If the infant seat didn't come w/ a head cushion, you should be able to purchase one separately. As far as location, the middle of the back seat is the safest place.

Don't add pillows, she could suffocate (a newborn should never have a pillow).

Answer 10

Call around and find somewhere else to have your seat checked...they will tell you the correct way and you can ask questions.... I would not trust my child to stranger online that have not been properly trained on carseat installation!!! No offense!! I am just a VERY paranoid mother...but they do look very uncomfortable in the seats!!!