Preparing for a newborn baby draws up an endless list of products that you will need in preparation for the arrival, but the one thing you may not know so much about is the car seat. So, for example, did you know that there are now in fact 5 different groups of car seats? Why so many you may say, well each type of car seat will suit, fit and keep your baby safe.
It may sound baffling but in fact it is very simple. Once your child is a certain weight, they will need to be placed into a different group which will be designed to protect and keep them safe in the highest possible way from any sudden impact.
The rules and the weight of each car seat group have been defined by the United Nations Safety Regulations which ensures that children from birth up to 36kg are covered.
Before you go and make a final purchase of a car seat for your little one, you must understand the correct groups of which your child will fit into. Not only will it be more comfortable for your baby but it could also save your child’s life in a collision.
Furthermore, if you decide to move your child into a larger car seat before they reach the maximum weight of their group, this could cause more damage or inflict severe injuries to your child in a car accident as they are not being fully protected from any impact or forceful shocks around them.
Please also remember that when purchasing your child’s car seat, their weight is the one and only important factor, not their age.
Another factor to think about when it comes to the safety of your child’s car seat is whether you choose to place it either forward facing or rear facing. It seems to be the common thing that once your baby reaches an age of becoming more aware of their surrounding environment, the car seat is automatically turned around so that they can see the passing scenery or more often than that, so that you can see them, yet this is not always the greatest nor the safest of ideas.
Below is a very simple table of each of the group sizes and the weight of what your child will need to be to be able to fit in the seat.
Weight range for which type of car seat
When can baby face forward in car seat?
By placing the seat of your child forward facing, you could be potentially putting them at great risk.
If your car was to be involved in a collision, there is a more than likely chance that your child will suffer serious injuries and possibly sustain life threatening injuries to their spinal cord.
Furthermore, during a collision, the forward momentum of their head can overstretch their developing neck muscles and ligaments which can cause a significant amount of damage. It’s suggested that you leave your baby’s car seat rear facing until they are at least 15 months old.