THICK CLOTHING IN CAR SEAT DANGER

[TeamSouthfields]

Sorry put here for traffic...

I read a terrible article today, but can't copy the link here (rubbish phone)
It's basically about the danger of babies/ young children wearing thick clothing in there car seat..

A baby was ejected from his car seat in an accident, by some miracle he survived,
His winter coat, his snowsuit, was too bulky. Even a coat that seems thin can add too much bulk under the safety belts. In an accident, that bulk compresses, leaving too much room between your baby's body and the straps. This could cause baby to be ejected from the car seat.

please share this

[ToysRLuv]

Have you tried this, Hairy?

www.amazon.co.uk/Houdini-Stop-Houdini1/dp/B0044VUXGW?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Worked for us..

[ToysRLuv]

Or there is this..

www.amazon.co.uk/Point-Plus-Seat-Escape-System/dp/B007FAI2AS/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1384115622&sr=1-1&keywords=5%20point%20plus&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[lagoonhaze]

The person who can't see the need for snowsuits for babies obviously hasn't done a school run with a buggy, it is hard to get those blankets to stay wrapped around snugly and even small babies get their hands and shoulders out of blankets. If you live a car to building lifestyle then maybe you don't need them

That was me. I used a fleece babygro and a morrck hoody. A blanket was fine when in wash too. Jo Jo polar fleece is good also.

[Minty82]

People aren't 'being argumentative', they just don't think the warning given makes much sense. I'd never heard this before, and DD isn't in the car much anyway as I don't drive, but when she has travelled in her coat I've never loosened the straps, so I really can't see how it would be any less safe than usual. The only concern that's crossed my mind is overheating, but I've only kept her coat on when I'm keeping mine on too - ie when it seems necessary!

[BerstieSpotts]

LOADS of people don't realise this. I had a sheepskin liner when DS was little. It said on the packaging you could use it in a car seat!

There's no need to be patronising - if you don't know the science behind crash forces then of course most people will assume that as long as they are pulling the straps tight over the clothing their child is wearing, the seat is safe.

It's still a danger in a rearfacing seat because when RF the child is not up at 90 degrees, they are reclined at an angle. In a crash the force pushes them up this slope. If the straps are loose (potentially due to a bulky coat) they can slip off the child's shoulders causing them to be ejected up and out of the seat. The baby in the story referenced in the OP (I read it from a link on facebook and no longer have the link) was in a rear facing infant seat.

[BerstieSpotts]

lagoon I never had a car and never used snowsuits either. Hate the things. I used blankets and a footmuff. They can't kick off a footmuff :)

[BerstieSpotts]

Minty you should be loosening them every time to get a snug fit - you loosen straps, put child in, then pull the strap at the bottom to tighten them over their clothing. If you're just leaving them the same tightness all the time then they probably aren't tight enough because it's hard to get the buckle in when they are taut.

[HootyMcOwlface]

Thank you OP, I'd never heard of this. I've always pulled straps really tight in the car seat, even with coats, but I'm glad to be made aware.

[mrsbugsywugsy]

I'd never heard of this before either.

When I took newborn dd home from hospital last winter, the midwife advised me to put more layers on her before I put her in the car seat

[intitgrand]

'But I don't think the physics behind this makes sense.In a crash the coat compresses as the child is thrown forward so any gap opens up behind the child's body not between the front of the child and the seat belt.And how is it a danger in a reverse facing seat?'

..and not only this, but the coat compressing would act surely like a crumple zone on a car.It would deccelerate the child reducing the impact

are there any credible sources for this 'info' ie not tattooed american mums.

[WestieMamma]

I didn't know this and now I'm confused. Where I live it hovers betwwen -10C and -20C throughout winter. In those conditions I wonder what is the greater risk, snowsuit on and the risk of restraints not working or snowsuit off and the risk of freezing. Something else for me to worry myself stupid about.

[zatyaballerina]

I had no idea Thanks.

[VikingLady]

When I put DD into a car seat, regardless of thickness of clothes, I tighten the straps until I can't tighten them any further without breaking something - doesn't everyone?!

[MortifiedAnyFuckerAdams]

Yes Viking but the point is that as tight as you can pull the straps with a coat on, they will be even tighter without a coat.

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

We had these - you can feed the car seat belt straps in underneath through special holes and then tighten up.
They were also brilliant in the buggy for getting them to sleep.
http://www.wallaboo.com/blankets/nore-dreamy-warm-1.html

[PasswordProtected]

Sheep. Where has common sense gone?

[Flatasawitchestit]

Can i just add to clarify - in our AN classes the car seat talk isn't given by midwives, but the local fire safety officer & / or HV.

We don't advise about car seats on discharge because we aren't allowed to advise on something we have no training in. We just obviously have to advise a baby travels home in a seat. I'm going to speak to outer risk manager about this to see if there is something we can do to raise awareness.

[Strumpetron]

People who don't believe this, why don't you do your own research into it instead of 1. Disbelieving or 2. Expecting to be spoon fed information.

I did a quick google and found loads.

[CommanderShepard]

I adjust the straps for every journey. But I'm another who can't understand the physics and may have spent the evening trying to replicate it with a teddy bear

[Strumpetron]

When i googled I found a website that did tests with a crash test dummy, including one that had added space 'as though to make room for a snow suit'

Results were :(

[ElfontheShelfIsWATCHINGYOUTOO]

Thanks for this,

NO it didn't occur to me and today is first day we put her in snow suit.

[Strumpetron]

www.theguardian.com/money/2011/oct/15/child-car-seats-common-mistakes-shocking-outcomes

[Kickarsequeen]

If it's really cold and your child has a puffy coat you can reduce the problem. Instructions are...

Sit child in seat with coat on, unzip coat and poke both sides of the coat through the sides of the 5 point harness. Do up the 5 point harness and then do up the zip of the coat on the outside of the harness!

Child is still warm and the harness is against the child's body without the coat in the way! There is a YouTube video, I'll try to find it! :)

[Kickarsequeen]

This video explains why coats are a problem...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=CNGT9eBL_gg

Still looking for the other video! :)

[Wuxiapian]

This is news to me and I'm expecting DC3!

Thanks for that, Op.