Car seats can be dangerous outside the car

USA Today reports more than 8,700 infants end up in emergency rooms each year because their car seats are used improperly outside the car, according to a study presented Monday at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting in Washington. The article stated that babies are spending more time in car seats, because of the convenience of the travel systems which allow them to be used in the car and out of the car as hand held baby carriers. Experts say that baby carriers are no safe ways to carry babies for extended periods of time. Many of the injuries were from the car seat flipping over on soft surfaces such as beds and couches or on high surfaces where the car seat could fall off and tip over injuring the child. Most of the injuries were to the head, with arms and legs close behind. Car accidents are the #1 reason for fatalities for children under 1 year. Car seats reduce 75% the chance of a child dying in car accident and over 9000 lives have been saved in the past 3 decades.

I believe this is an important article. Infant and child car seats are one of the greatest inventions for the transport of kids since peanut butter and jelly. Unfortunately in today's busy lifestyle many people use them for baby carriers or beds too often. In addition I believe that many people parents, grandparents, etc. find security in these carriers. A false sense of security develops when they rely on them too heavily outside of the car. If you have ever traveled with and infant or a small child in a car seat you know how convenient they can be! And how they can give you a certain amount of peace of mind knowing where they are and what they are doing, but a gentle reminder needs to be heard and that is, it is a car seat, not a long term baby carrier or a baby bed, it's a car seat. If used correctly it can protect your infant, but if it is used incorrectly its protection can be limited.