{"id":5736,"date":"2019-03-11T13:00:43","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T18:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=5736"},"modified":"2019-03-07T10:59:05","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T16:59:05","slug":"is-your-car-seat-installed-correctly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/is-your-car-seat-installed-correctly\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your car seat installed correctly?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Up to 80 percent of car seats aren\u2019t properly installed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich is scary, because if you\u2019re in a crash and your car seat isn\u2019t installed correctly, it\u2019s not going to function properly, and your child could be injured or worse,\u201d said Stephanie Miles, a certified child passenger safety technician.<\/p>\n

In her role in the advocacy department at OSF HealthCare Children\u2019s Hospital of Illinois<\/a>, Stephanie helps promote parent education, including car seat safety<\/a>. Despite having their child\u2019s best interest at heart, many parents make mistakes when putting their child in a car seat. Here are some common errors.<\/p>\n

Most common mistakes<\/h2>\n

The car seat isn\u2019t tight enough<\/h3>\n

\"mother<\/p>\n

Your car seat should move less than an inch along the belt path, side to side and front to back.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s too loose and you get in a crash, the car seat could become unattached and potentially be ejected from the vehicle,\u201d Stephanie said.<\/p>\n

Recline position isn\u2019t correct<\/h3>\n

Having a child reclined too far back in their car seat could make it easier for them to slip out of the harness during a crash.<\/p>\n

Conversely, the head and neck of a child reclined too far forward isn\u2019t properly supported, which could restrict the airway. Consult your owner\u2019s manual for detailed information and follow the manufacturer\u2019s recommendations for the safest position.<\/p>\n

Your child isn\u2019t strapped in correctly<\/h3>\n

\"infant<\/p>\n

A poorly positioned hardness or chest clip could cause major problems in a crash.<\/p>\n

The harness should be snug enough that you can\u2019t pinch any fabric between your fingers at the baby\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can pinch any fabric, you need to tighten them,\u201d Stephanie said.<\/p>\n

In rear-facing seats, the hardness straps should be at or below the shoulders. In front-facing seats, straps should be at or above the shoulders.<\/p>\n

The chest clip should be positioned in line with the baby\u2019s armpits, directly over the baby\u2019s breastbone. Any lower, and the clip could cause damage to the baby\u2019s internal organs in a crash.<\/p>\n

Your child should be rear-facing<\/h3>\n

\"Father<\/p>\n

In 2019, Illinois state law changed to require all children under the age of 2 years old ride in a rear-facing car seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have always recommended rear-facing at least until the age of 2 because it better protects the brain, neck and spinal cord,\u201d Stephanie said. \u201cIf you forward face too soon, injuries to the brain,<\/a>\u00a0neck,<\/a> and spinal cord<\/a> could result, which are life-changing, permanent injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Illinois law also requires that older kids use a child restraint system such as a booster seat up until the age of 8, but Stephanie recommends that children continue to use a booster seat until they are at least 4 foot 9 inches or 80 pounds.<\/p>\n

The bottom line<\/h2>\n

Take your time when you\u2019re putting your child in their car seat, and double check every time that it\u2019s installed safely.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re traveling, your children are your most precious cargo, so it\u2019s worth the extra time to make sure not only the car seat is installed properly, but your child is correctly seated in the car seat,\u201d Stephanie said. \u201cIt can be challenging as a parent, especially when you\u2019re rushing out the door, but take a few extra minutes and make sure your child is properly restrained.\u201d<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t throw away the owner\u2019s manual! Read your manufacturer\u2019s recommendations carefully to be sure you are using the car seat correctly to best protect your child.<\/p>\n

While these can be valuable resources, they can also be overwhelming. If you have any questions about whether you are following instructions correctly or whether your child\u2019s seat is safely installed, you can call the OSF Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a> advocacy department and request a consultation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to know about car seats. If you\u2019re confused we\u2019re here to help,\u201d Stephanie said.<\/p>\n

Call 1 (877) 277-6543 to schedule a car seat check<\/a> in a location near you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Up to 80 percent of car seats aren\u2019t properly installed. \u201cWhich is scary, because if you\u2019re in a crash and your car seat isn\u2019t installed correctly, it\u2019s not going to function properly, and your child could be injured or worse,\u201d said Stephanie Miles, a certified child passenger safety technician. In her role in the advocacy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":5841,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[485,421,142],"coauthors":[757],"class_list":["post-5736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pediatrics","tag-education","tag-infants","tag-childrens-hospital-of-illinois"],"yoast_head":"\nIs your car seat installed correctly? | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Up to 80 percent of car seats aren\u2019t properly installed, which could lead to injury or worse if you're in a crash.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/is-your-car-seat-installed-correctly\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is your car seat installed correctly?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Up to 80 percent of car seats aren\u2019t properly installed, which could lead to injury or worse if you're in a crash.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/is-your-car-seat-installed-correctly\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OSF HealthCare Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-11T18:00:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/TEST.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Laura Nightengale\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Is your car seat installed correctly?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Up to 80 percent of car seats aren\u2019t properly installed, which could lead to injury or worse if you're in a crash.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/TEST.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Laura Nightengale\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/is-your-car-seat-installed-correctly\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/is-your-car-seat-installed-correctly\/\",\"name\":\"Is your car seat installed correctly? 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