Newborns length of time in carseat

[Fireinthegrate]

My niece had a baby end of october. She says due to recommendations about length of time in a car seat she will not be bringing baby to visit family until mid January. They live approx 2.5 - 3 hrs drive away and can stay overnight.
She says it's too long in the car seat for the baby until she is 3 mths old.
I feel sad not to see the baby yet, but even sadder for my housebound parents (the gt grandparents). This is their first gt grandchild and they have been very close to their granddaughter (baby's mum) since she was small.

Is this a thing now?

When my girls were newborns, only a few weeks old, they were taken to visit grandparents 6 hrs drive away and no harm done. I would think car seats are even more ergonomic now than 20 years ago too.

Well they shouldn't be in the car seat for more than 1-2 hours without breaks. Why can't they take breaks and have one of them sit in the back to keep an eye if they're worried?

www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/warning-over-babies-sleeping-in-car-seats/

We travelled a 3 hour journey when my daughter was 6 weeks old - I was quite paranoid about the 2 hour guidance at the time. But we stopped for an hour on the way and it was very rare on a day to day basis that she was in the car seat longer than 30 mins a go.

I can understand their decision: even if they stop and have a break it’s still a cumulatively long time for a young baby to stay in a car seat. And they might not want to stay over at someone’s house. Plus that’s the journey in normal conditions, it’s now winter so more likely to experience delays due to bad weather and traffic problems.

My son wasn’t in the car seat for more than 30 minute journeys until he was about 6 months: and even then we always made sure someone sat in the back with him where possible.

There is official guidance on reducing time in car seats due to babies dying. So if trying to stop babies dying “is a thing now” then yes: like not putting babies in their own rooms until after 6 months, and not laying babies on their front to sleep, and not using blankets. Things have changed a lot in 20 years.

Is there a train option? You and your parents could offer to pay?

The recommendations now are 30 mins at a time and no more than 2 hours in a day I think

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-37947841/car-seat-warning-for-infants-on-long-journeys

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I'm sorry if anyone thought I was being flippant, not my intention.
Unfortunately my parents (the gt grandparents) are housebound so can't travel there to see them.
If they come here they have a room still at my sister's house, so it's not putting upon anyone
We will have to be patient and be satisfied with photos and facetime for the moment.

I wouldn't want to drive that far with a small baby whatever the recommendations are. I had in-laws being arsey about us not driving at Christmas with a new born. Really selfish.