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Advise On How To Use Your Carseat By a Carseat Expert

5 replies

Advisor1 · 10/11/2008 13:07

HI, all I'm a Nursery Advisor with over five years of experience and there are just a few things i'd like to point out about using the Maxi-Cosi Cabrio or CabrioFix.

  1. The neck support is only needed for a child who cannot fully support their head. Once your child can do this you should remove the head support as it is no longer needed and will also provide your child with more space within the carseat. (On average this normally happens in the first four - six months)

  2. Your child has NOT out grown a rear facing carseat when their legs are starting to dangle over the edge it is when their head has reached the top of the carseat.
    Carseat groups are categorized by weight and length NOT by age. In a rear facing carseat the impact level is at the child's leg, in a forward facing carseat the impact level is around their neck. If a baby were put into a forward facing carseat to early their neck would simply snap in an accident so I cannot stress enough how important it is that your child remain rear facing until they have out grown the carseat in length or have met the maximum weight which is normally 13kg (30 pounds).
    On average a child is moved into a forward facing carseat at around 12-14 months. At the earliest, for a child who is quite big for their age, 10-11 months.

  3. It is important that you restrict the amount of time in a carseat for about 2-hours a day especially if you have a low birth weight or premature baby.
    This is because a new born babies lungs are not fully devolped and they use the lower part of their lungs to breathe however when placed upright in a carseat, they use the top part of their lungs which results in less oxygen in their blood.
    If you need to go on a long journey longer than 2-hours by law, as a driver, you should be having a break for sleeptime after 2-hours. If travelling with your baby you must give them a break after 2-hours for about an hour before putting them back into the carseat. Bearing in mind that a newborn baby tends to need feeding/changing every 2 - 4 hours you will find yourself needing perodic breaks anyway.

  4. As the child nears the end of their first carseat try, as annoying as it is, to avoid putting them in thick clothing as this will make the belt much harder to do up.

  5. For any of those you have a CabrioFix and are looking for the seat adjuster don't bother as you won't have it. This feature will only appear on the Cabrio model which was discontinued in 2005. The seat adjuster was replaced by a very thick wedged cushion on the Cabriofix model.
    How to tell if you have a Cabrio or CabrioFix? - Look underneath the bottom of your carseat if you have two parallel metal bars running from one side of the base to the other, you have a CabrioFix. If you don't you have a Cabrio and I would seriously consider upgrading to a Cabriofix as your carseat only meets the safety standards of 2005 although all in all not much has changed.

I really hope this has helped!

OP posts:
AnnoyingPTAMother · 10/11/2008 13:12

Thank you for the advice.

Just a quick question..Is it really law to have a break after 2 hours of driving? I have never heard this before. I know it is recommended you take regular breaks but wasn't aware it was required by law.

mrsmontano · 10/11/2008 14:49

that's not law... but thanx for the other info.

HeadFairy · 10/11/2008 14:52

Wasn't there another thread recently advising against having a child in thick clothing while in a car seat as in an accident the fabric can compress and when they do so the straps become slack and don't provide the correct support?

LucifersLeftEyebrow · 10/11/2008 14:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Advisor1 · 10/11/2008 16:01

Typo rephrase:

If you need to go on a long journey longer than 2-hours, as a driver, you should be having a break for sleeptime after 2-hours.

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