When traveling in the cold weather this winter, experts are warning parents not to bundle up their small children before putting them in a car seat. Despite a parent’s intention to keep them warm, it could be dangerous.
“So it’s actually very unsafe to wear coats inside of a harnessed car seat because it takes up way too much slack,” said Kelley Miller, injury prevention coordinator at Spectrum Health. “You may feel like you’re getting the straps nice and tight. But in reality, you’ve still got too much slack, usually up to about four inches of slack leftover.”
According to Spectrum Health, 90% of car seats in Kent County are used incorrectly.
Miller also says that the straps looking nice and tight give parents a false sense of security. If the coat takes extra slack, it could be detrimental in a crash. The extra room makes a child more likely to move or come out of the car seat, which increases the likelihood of internal injuries to the head and neck. For newborns, it could cause positional asphyxiation.
“We always want the harness to catch the rider immediately,” said Miller.
One way that Miller recommends checking to see if a child’s coat is too thick is called the pinch test. If parents are unable to pinch any extra fabric at the child’s shoulders, the coat is safe to wear in a car seat.
While parents should avoid thick coats, there are other options to keep their small kids warm. “Sometimes a great option is a nice, good quality fleece jacket,” said Miller. “Fleece jackets can give a lot of warmth without a lot of bulk.”
Dressing the small kids in two or three layers is also recommended, as well as using a blanket.
It’s also important to have warmer options in the car in case of an emergency, such as a crash or breakdown.
“The kiddo can even wear the jacket backward around them, put their arms through the holes and kind of wear it like a poncho or blanket,” said Miller. “They can cuddle up with a nice fluffy blanket, whatever makes them happy as long as we keep that fluffy clothing out from underneath the harness.”
Once a month, Spectrum Health holds a car seat check to make sure kids are safe. The next one will be held on December 8, from 12 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Caledonia Fire Department. It is recommended that parents call and make an appointment for a car seat check.
