ADVICE-too long but too light for group 0 car seat

[sammysam]

what to you do if your LO gets too long (feet off and head nearly off the ends) but they aren't heavy enough for the group 1?

Do you move up or wait? Is the size or weight more important?

weight. how heavy is child? i think is 9kilo??

Weight is more important, as is head and neck control. Feet are far less of a problem than head - they just have to bend their legs ! Otherwsie buy a 0+/1 seat liek Britax First class allowing a bit mroe room reverse ways and then can turn forwards.

We moved DS into his next car seat when he was about 1/2 Kg off the weight for group one (he was around 9 mths) as is head was sicking out the top of his group 0. Not sure we necessarily did the right thing but it fitted him and supported is head better than an ill fitting group 0. We did make sure though that the group 1 straps were secure/tight enough and he couldn't slip etc etc

She is almost 9 months and just under 8kg

i'd wait

tedious but better to be safe

ds was the magic 20lbs at 8 months but dd is a petite thing and will be rear facing for ages yet...and she's fairly long.

Shes 75cms! Very long and slim-it just worries me that if we had an accident the fact that she sticks off the ends would cause big injuries.

Her feet will be against the seatback, sammysam, won't they? Her little knees will just bend . She'll be fine, best to wait I think. Given that the seats are all categorised by weight, not height, that must be the more significant factor.

I would move up to the bigger seat if her head is sticking out of the top - it is likely to cause neck damage in the event of an accident. How goos is her head control ?

Probably not the correct advice but it is what we did with our ds - who is very light but also long (particualrly his back) and just would not fit in the smaller seat.

i second lizs, there are some reasonably priced 0+/1 seats, nania ones start at £35!

get one that can be rear and forward facing. they go up to a higher weight but child can still rear face if not big enough to forward face.

Provided their eyes are below the top of the car seat they are okay. Have you got a stage 0 or 0+ car seat - the 0+ are generally bigger and I think the britax ones are more generous on the head height. I had hugely tall dds 98th Centile and they fitted in the rock a tot until they were a year old as one of them could not sitted unaided until then.

HTH

I thought twas best to wait as everything is by weight but just wanted to make sure.

Her head control is great-always has been-think its better than mine

Her feet do rest against the cars seat but she has a habit of stretching them out and pushing back from the seat. This is what then takes her head off the end.

Its a maxi cosi cabrio. 0

Does the 0+ last as long as the group 1?

yes they both go up to 40lbs

its not 0+ though. group 0 goes up to 22lbs, group 0+ goes up to 29lbs, group 1 goes up to 40lbs, group 2 up to 55lbs, group 3 up to 79lbs.

oh i forgot to say you can get some forward facing that are from 20lbs to 79lbs and last for as long as you need a car seat. this is an example.

The reason behind the need for them to be 9kg (so i herd) is that under 9kg the ratio of the head weight to body weight is 'wrong' so they need to be rear facing so as not to snap their neck in a crash.

not sure how accurate (or well explained that is) but bearing it in mind i would NEVER put a child under 9kg in a group 1 car seat!

Its NOT SAFE!

also the baby really would have to be hugely enourmous to not fit in group 0 car seat at 8.5kg.... most go up to 13kg anyway.

So many people have huge babies (so they think!) but not that many actually weigh under 9kg and have their eyes out of the top. Im sure there is will be an exception to the rule but most arnt!

it doesnt matter if their legs are bent

to put it bluntly would you rather have broken legs or a broken neck?

DS had grown out of his first car seat at about 5 months. I was told by Mamas & Papas that the length of his legs didn't matter but when his head went over the top of the seat then it was no longer safe. He was around the 9kg mark I think but wasn't sitting. So I bought the Britax first class and had him rear facing in that. Apparently rear facing for as long as possible is safer and in places like Sweden they have seats that are designed for them to be this way until they are something like 3.

Thanks for all your help

We bought the next size up at the weekend (we were buying a lightweight stroller and got a discount) but won't be using it yet (til she reaches the required weight or eyes off the top)

It worries me though as in the shop they said it'd be fine for her to move up-if you lot are correct (i think you are!) then they are giving people dangerous advice.

Is this common advice?