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Restraint yourself
Bub Hub E-Newsletter, September 2006, Issue 50 - Article 2



 

New mum Julie Hedjes does her homework to figure out how best to carry her precious cargo.

One day in April 1972, my father arrived at the hospital with the white woven bassinet that would be both my carrier for the drive home and my bed for the next several months. Mum sat in the back seat of the family sedan and I slept in the bassinet on her lap. So began my first motoring experience.

How times have changed; hospital stays post-delivery are generally shorter and most parents wouldn't dream of taking their new bundle of joy home in anything but an Australian Standard approved and correctly fitted car child restraint.

However, actually choosing the carrier worthy of transporting your precious cargo is another matter.

Babies are big business and parents-to-be, already overloaded with information about items their new baby will need to survive outside the womb, will be further struck by the sheer number of choices for everything from car seats to bunny rugs.

When we set out to buy a car seat for our eagerly awaited daughter, our criteria was fairly simple: it had to meet the relevant Australian safety standards, not cost more than the family car or require a university degree to use.

Then we came face to face with the wall of capsules, upright seats, convertible seats and booster seats at a shop and discovered that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

There are seats with masses of padding and seats with far less, some swivel, the deluxe models come with a mat to protect the rear seat and a sun shade to protect the babe. There is even a model that can be hooked up to a CD player to pipe mellow music straight to your baby's ears.

Somewhat overwhelmed, we decided to retreat and seek information to help us narrow down the choices.

There are a range of factors for parents to consider when choosing a car restraint and basic information is available from organisations such as RACV and VicRoads.

Irrespective of the bells and whistles some models feature, they are first a safety device, and with this in mind, finding a restraint that fits your child's size and weight, rather than their age, and confirming that it complies with the Australian Standard is the place to start.

The details vary between brands, but here's the general idea.

At the outset, it is useful to know that not all child restraints fit all cars, it's probably a good idea to check it’s suitable for your vehicle.

For newborns, the safest way to travel is in an infant restraint, which is designed to hold a baby until she reaches between 9kg and 12kg, depending on the model you choose. These restraints face rearward and allow babies to lie down so that their back and neck are supported. The safest place for it is in the centre of the rear seat.

Infant restraints are either single purpose restraints, like a baby capsule, or a convertible restraint designed to be used in a rearward position until the baby is 8-9kg, and then turned to face forward for use as a child car seat. Many families choose convertible models rather than a single-purpose baby capsule, and then a single-purpose car seat. However, capsules have been shown to be the safer option for newborns and to help reduce costs, some local councils and private companies will hire out child restraints.

Before you know it, your baby is smearing baby rice and mushy veggies into every crevice of her highchair and, having packed on the kilos, it's time to move into a child car seat. Suitable for children weighing from 8-18kg, and who can hold their heads up on their own, these seats face forward and again the safest position is the centre of the rear seat.

As your child grows, the harness straps will also need adjusting so that they sit above her shoulders and come down on an angle.
 

Just as you've said, 'oh how time flies', your little person has outgrown her child seat and is ready for a booster seat. Suitable for children from 14-26kg, booster seats generally use the car's own seat belt. Models that place the adult belt more securely across the child and have side wings not only support a sleeping child but also protect their head in a side-impact collision.

Finally there is the child harness, designed to be used with a booster seat until they reach about 26kg, then on its own until the child weighs 32kg. It attaches to an anchor point and the lap belt and some harnesses also come with a buckle that allows them to be used with lap/sash belts.

Research has shown that many children move into the next type of restraint before they reach the appropriate size. However in the event of a collision, children using an adult belt before they are ready, are 3.5 times more likely to sustain a significant injury, particularly to the head, compared with children in a dedicated child restraint.

Of course with all restraints, they are only really effective if they are installed correctly and an RACV study found children travelling in a correctly installed restraint were 70 per cent less likely to be killed or seriously injured in the event of a crash. Some seats can be difficult or just plain confusing to install but help is at hand with restraint fitting stations dotted throughout Victoria and for a small fee, experts can help parents to install their chosen carrier or to check they have fitted it correctly themselves.

So armed with all the basic information, all that's left to worry about is the brand, the colour, optional sun shade/protective mat/automatic harness retractor.

Now we've decided on an appropriate restraint, we still face several arduous shopping trips to choose a bed for our baby. If it was still 1972, the one choice would cover both the car seat and the bed!

 

This article has been supplied by RACV.

More information on choosing and correctly using child restraints is available at racv.com.au.

Further information and details of local suppliers and services for viewers from other states is available via the links below.


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