How To Install a Child Safety Seat

Getting ready for your new arrival has taken nine crazy months of preparation and toil. The house is entirely baby-proofed. You have enough diapers to last an eternity. You've read so many baby books and magazines you find yourself quoting Dr. Brazelton at dinner parties. Stroller: check. Baby Mozart CDs: check. Prep bag for the hospital: check.

The Last Thing on a New Parent's Mind?

The next thing you know, you're a parent. Things will be different now that you are responsible for this small crying creature that looks like she spent way too long in a bathtub. For example: You need to get your newborn home, and this means you need a car seat.

If you chat with certified car-seat installers, you will generally get agreement on one thing. The car seat is often last in line when it comes to baby preparation. But think about it. Behind the crib and maybe the high chair, what safety precaution gets more use? What could be more important than taking the proper steps to protect your new child on our busy streets and highways?

Thank goodness for those hospitals with Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians on hand to assist new parents. You might also run into these folks at the store where you purchased the car seat. Of course, this is not always the case, so it's important to know the proper way to secure the car seat you purchased and then have it double-checked by someone else.

So Many Car Seats

There are so many types of car seats and boosters available that choosing one can be overwhelming. Plus, parents are generally tired from the delivery and panicked a bit at the immediate future, so the installation becomes even more of a chore. First and foremost, it is imperative to read the instructions and secure your seat according to manufacturer's recommendations. And don't forget the owner's manual that came with your vehicle. You should find additional information in there as well about how your car is built to handle a safety seat.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is another valuable resource for information and instruction on all types and stages of car seats. This is also the place to find out about recalls, ratings, and to report defects.

Proper Installation Techniques

Infant Seats

All you have to do is hold your newborn baby to get the idea that you're dealing with something fragile. Protecting and preparing an infant to endure an accident safely takes great care. The infant's head and neck are at most risk, but it doesn't take much to cause injury to any part of the body.

The idea behind any safety seat you might buy is that, if a collision does occur, the force will not be directed toward one specific area or limb, but rather evenly across the whole body. This is the same concept with adults, but all the more important in infants.

There are two types of infant seats, each with specific requirements for proper installation:

Rear-facing, infant-only seats are ideal for newborns, but can be used for any child up to 20 or so pounds. One helpful technique to keep in mind when you are doing your best contortionist act trying to get the seat in is the inch factor.

If you can move any strap, harness, or the entire seat itself more than an inch, then you probably need to put some more elbow grease into pulling the seat belt or ensuring the straps are appropriately taut. Do this by putting a knee in the seat or finding some other way to put your weight into it. Then pull on those straps! Other tips include:

• Many times this type of car seat comes with a base that a carrier latches into. This actually makes installation easier because you are dealing with a rather small piece of plastic. The base and carrier should only go in the back seat, preferably in the middle, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule.

• You might need to place a shortened swimming noodle (one of the only materials CPS has certified) to level out the base, which should lie at a 45-degree angle with the carrier installed. Some manufacturers make bases that are adjustable.

• Make sure the carrier straps are tight and the harness clip is even with the baby's shoulders or armpits. Also make sure the straps are in the slot that lines up just above or closest to the infant's shoulders.

• If the child is still a bit wobbly in the seat due to her size, place rolled receiving blankets or towels along each side. This provides additional support and cushion. However, do not place anything under the harness straps.

• When the carrier is snapped into the base, the handle should be out of the way. Place it in the down position.

• Some older vehicles (especially those manufactured prior to 1997) may require the use of a locking clip. This is a small piece of metal that looks like the letter "I" on its side. Certain vehicles do not have seat belts that lock when the brakes are slammed. The clip locks the seat belt and prevents extra slippage in the event of an accident.

• The vast majority of car seats are never installed properly. Always have your work checked before using the car seat.

Convertible seats are designed to grow with your child. They can be modified with each weight and age transition, allowing you to only buy one car seat. Thus, when the child is an infant the seat will face the rear.

When she tips the scales at 20-plus pounds, then the seat can be switched to face the front. The installation tips listed for the infant-specific seat still apply with the convertible variety. The convertible seat generally has more gadgets and straps that aid with restraint, including a tether that comes off the back and can be latched to various places in your vehicle.

Convertible Harness Types

A firm fit is still the key. Convertible car seats can come equipped with one of three types of harness systems: 5-point, tray, and T-shield. Each meets the required safety standards, and the choice ultimately depends on you and your general preference.

Each style has pros and cons that you will pick up in your research. Users have been satisfied with each, although anything with straps tends to get twisted over time. The best way to straighten the straps out is to pull them completely out of the seat and run warm water over them. This brings them back to new, and gets that built-up gunk out from all those car snacks and spills.

The tray arm tends to restrict the child's movement more than the others and is not necessarily book- or toy-friendly. Plus, the padded arm tends to get extremely worn and dirty over time.

The T-shield has parallel straps connecting into a buckle-type apparatus between the child's legs. The one problem with this is that the buckle area can create a gap that is a little too big. It can also rub too hard against your child's legs and cause pinching.

The Tots (20 to 40 pounds)

By this time, your car seat should face forward. It's still in the back seat, but now looking the same direction as you.

One major change is most likely going to be where the harness straps are positioned. These seats are generally held in by a seatbelt slipped through a hole in the back. The key again is to ensure less than an inch of movement from side to side and forward.

This can be more difficult, or at least it seems that way, with the bigger car seats. To combat this, car seat engineers have added anchors and tethers for additional protection. This brings us to the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system.

The LATCH System

More than just an awareness program, LATCH is actually an alternative means of installing a car seat. An astonishing number of car seats (by some estimates 80%) would fail CPS check. So this program is an attempt to curb dismal numbers by offering what some consider a simplified installation method. What does it mean? Well, all new vehicles are now equipped with seat belts plus various other mooring components.

If you have a vehicle manufactured after 2002, simply feel around the back seat until you find a couple of heavy metal latches. These are designed to hold the anchors and tethers that come with the new car seats. Thus, you can now hook a car seat into the back of a vehicle without utilizing the seat belts. All the other aspects of securing the seat still apply, so make sure your straps are nice and taut, and that the seat does not move about.

Hey, I'm a Big Kid (40 pounds plus, or four to eight years of age and beyond)

Once a child starts topping out at the maximum weights listed for toddler car seats, they are still not out of the water. One misconception many parents have is that when a kid is pushing 50 pounds, they no longer need a car seat. While this is technically true, it does not mean they can sit like an adult and simply use the seat belt. Studies have shown that this time period is exceptionally vulnerable for children, and that many perish in accidents when they were secured only by a seat belt.

Once the car seat is gone, it needs to be replaced with a booster seat. There are a couple of types. The regular booster seat looks like a seat cushion you would take to a baseball game. It helps prop the child to a better height so that a standard seat belt rests in the correct place across her body. New cars generally have adjustable shoulder belts to guarantee the right fit, but if yours doesn't, you may need to purchase an adapter. Consult with a CPS beforehand, because some of these modifications carry a bit of controversy.

The second type of booster comes with a high back. It looks like a cockpit seat on an airplane, which might help you to convince your child that, yes indeed, these things are cool. These chairs can be strapped in like a regular car seat, and they come with a harnessing system so you don't need to worry about head damage from the seatbelt in the event of an accident.

Further Reading

• Car Safety Seats: A Guide For Families

• SeatCheck

• Find a Car Seat Technician in Your Area