How to keep child's head up in car seat

How To Keep Your Toddler's Head From Slumping Forward In Car Seat, Because That Doesn't Look Safe

Safety

Courtesy of Samantha Darby

Because it seems inevitable.

by Mishal Ali Zafar and Jennifer Parris

Updated: Aug. 18, 2021

Originally Published: July 13, 2017

I remember when I first turned around my children's car seats. It felt liberating for them and for myself. I could finally see them and they could finally see me, along with the sights of the wondrous roads ahead. But I quickly learned that once they would fall asleep, my task was to continuously push their sleepy heads back, which would fall forward anytime the car stopped. If you're a parent who needs a break from push-back duty, you should know how to keep your toddler's head from slumping forward in a car seat.

Is It Safe For Your Child’s Head To Fall Forward In A Car Seat?

Sometimes when children sleep in an awkward position for too long, it can put some strain on their neck muscles, according to About Kids Health. But even though it might look particularly painful, you shouldn’t worry too much about having to perpetually pop your child’s head back into the correct position, Dr. Denise Scott, M.D., a pediatrician with JustAnswer, tells Romper. “Older infants (from 9-12 months old) and toddlers have developed adequate neck and head control and no longer require head support,” says Dr. Scott. “The head bending forward will not cut off their airway as in a young infant.” And while it might appear to be utterly awkward, your kiddo will instinctively adjust themselves if their neck begins to ache or they find it to be too uncomfortable.

Do You Need To Use A Pillow Or Straps To Keep Your Child’s Head Up In Their Car Seat?

You might be tempted to position your child’s head in place with some sort of pillow or prop — but you shouldn’t. “It is not recommended to use a neck pillow of any kind in a car seat,” says Dr. Scott. “There are head straps available that go around the car seat and hold the forehead in place to keep the head upright, but again, it’s not necessary.”

Here’s How You Can Help Your Child’s Head From Falling Forward In Their Car Seat

Still, it’s hard to watch your child’s head falling forward in their car seat, even if you know it’s not hurting them. To stop the slump, the first thing you can do is to look for a car seat that has a reclining feature. Many convertible car seats, explained the National Child Passenger Safety Board, are safe in a forward-facing, semi-reclined position, as well as fully upright. “For them to ride safely in a car seat, first and foremost, follow the manufacturer's instructions,” says Dr. Scott, and don’t make the car seat recline if it’s not supposed to.

So how do you keep your kiddo’s noggin from hanging down? “To prevent the head from falling forward, have harness straps snug, the chest plate at the level of the armpits and the seat reclined appropriately,” advises Dr. Scott. “If needed, a tightly rolled diaper cloth or thin blanket placed on each side of the head (never behind) and running down each side of the body can also be used to keep the head in place.”

You should always make sure your toddler is big enough to sit forward facing in the first place. Once your toddler is at the correct age and weight — according to the standards recommended by your car seat manufacturer — the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that parents use a forward-facing seat that has a harness, because it can provide a lot more support and safety than a booster seat.

It’s always important to make sure that your toddler’s car seat is installed correctly. If you are unsure about the setup, you can find a car seat technician to help. Unfortunately, physics is probably going to be against you when it comes to the forward head slump, but these techniques and tips may make your car trips require a little less work — and make moving your child’s head less of a pain in the neck…for both of you.

Expert:

Dr. Denise Scott, M.D., a pediatrician with JustAnswer

This article was originally published on July 13, 2017

Keep Your Kids Safe While Sleeping In Their Car Booster Seat

Don’t let the sleep slump ruin car seat safety for your kids.

As parents we’ve all seen it, right? And we cringe at the sleep slump.

The sleep slump (and, yes, we stopped to reposition him).

Are there car seat safety issues with the sleep slump?

While head slump looks might uncomfortable to us, children’s necks are more flexible than ours so for most kids, the head slump is a non-issue. They don’t wake up with a kink in their neck, like many parents would.

OK. What about safety issues?

When the children are small and still in a 5-point harness, the child is less likely to get so out of position as to be in increased danger. (Head slump can be problematic for newborns or children without adequate head control. For these children, you may be able to adjust the recline of the harness restraint to accommodate better neck positioning.)

But big kids fall asleep in the car too. As the child gets older, gets into a booster—or RideSafer as in this case—or even grown enough to be in the vehicle seat belt, what are parents to do?

In this particular case (pictured above), he was 8-years-old. He was 4’4″ tall. If we had left him in this position and gotten into a crash, he likely wouldn’t have fared well, especially in a side-impact as he is right next to the window sill and window.

How Can Kids Sleep Safely In Their Car Seat?

Sleeping in the car can be really uncomfortable but sometimes kids can’t help but succumb to exhaustion and the motion.

One solution to help these older children stay properly positioned in their RideSafer or booster or seat belt is to pull over and switch the seat belt over to automatic locking mode by pulling the shoulder belt all the way out, then letting it back into the seat belt retractor. (You should hear a ratcheting sound and the belt will stay locked instead of having slack in it.)

Note: Some booster seat manufacturers do not allow this and some car manufacturers do not allow this so be sure to read your manuals. The RideSafer manufacturer does allow locking the seat belt while using the vest, when necessary.

Most kids don’t want to ride like this all the time. And since a locked seat belt may potentially increase the risk of injury from submarining, we only suggest locking the seat belt on a child in a belt positioning device or seat belt as a last resort if the child cannot sit properly in the belt without it locked, such as when sleeping. An out of position child could be at greater risk of injury in a crash.

One thing we have done in the past, too, is to recline the rear vehicle seat just a touch. Of course only some cars offer this feature, but it sure is handy to at least reduce the head slump. However, if the vehicle seat recline is so much that the seat belt is no longer properly positioned, it can be dangerous in a crash (for a child or an adult) and is not recommended. If you are able, recline just about an inch so their head is more likely to stay leaning back rather than slumping forward while keeping the seat belt properly positioned on the child.

Are There Products That Make Sleeping In A Car Seat Safe For My Child?

There are some products out there to help keep the older “booster age” child sleep more comfortably and stay in position as well:

Cardiff —The manufacturer calls this the “booster seat headrest.” We like it with the RideSafer too (so much so we offer it on our site). It offers bigger kids (or even adult passengers) a place to rest their heads. It attaches to the vehicle head rest bars and the sides folds up and down and clicks into place. Our kids love the Cardiff headrest for long trips! (2021 update: Similar headrests are being sold now on Amazon. We cannot attest to other brands. Whereas, we have talked to the Cardiff owners about the crash testing they did.)
Amiba Monsters — These pillows were created by a 9-year-old and his mom to give support and something to hold while sleeping in the car. They are large pillows that rest on the lap and goes up to support the child’s head at the neck. They come in several colorful monster faces and shapes. Since they go on top of the harness straps or seat belt and don’t interfere with proper positioning, we find these acceptable. It’s like holding a stuffed animal but specially designed to support the child’s head. We haven’t had our kids try them so we cannot relay how well they work.

Note for parents with children still in a 5-point harness and looking to solve the head slump “problem”. There are companies making straps that attach to the car seat and are meant to keep the child’s head from slumping forward. Basically it’s like a headband that attaches to the car seat. They may seem like a good idea until you consider crash dynamics.

These bands or slings are not considered safe. During a crash, the child’s head would want to move forward with the crash energy and would likely force the child’s neck to bend back to release from the band, potentially tearing delicate ligaments. After releasing from the sling, the child’s head would continue going through the range of motions that it would have made had it not been caught up in the sling. Thus the head and neck would go through a greater range of motion, increasing the potential for spinal injury.

By Amie Durocher, Creative Director at Safe Ride 4 Kids and certified CPS Tech since 2004

Copyright 2021 Safe Ride 4 Kids. All rights reserved. You may not publish, broadcast, rewrite or redistribute this material without permission. You are welcome to link to Safe Ride 4 Kids or share on social media.

We originally published this post in September 2014. We updated the article for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Doctors warn that sleeping in a car seat can be dangerous for a baby

Sleeping in a car seat can kill a child, pediatricians warn - almost 2/3 of the deaths of children in a sitting position are associated with car seats. They insist that the car seat should be used strictly for its intended purpose, and at home, the sleeping baby should be transferred to the crib.

Sleeping in a car seat can kill a child, experts from the University of Virginia and doctors from several American clinics found out. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics .

Pediatricians oppose baby sleep in a sitting position - every year hundreds of child deaths are associated with it. However, until now, little was known about the factors associated with child mortality in car seats and other seating devices.

The authors of the work analyzed infant mortality during sleep in 2004-2014 in the United States. They were interested in exactly where the child was at the time of death and who was nearby at that time. Of the nearly 12,000 sleep deaths, 348 occurred in devices that support children in a sitting position.

In 62% of cases these were car seats that were not used for their intended purpose.

In more than half of the deaths in car seats, children died at home, more often in the presence of a guardian or nanny than parents.

"The use of car seats for other than intended purposes can be dangerous for the child," the authors of the work warn.

"Indeed, car seat-related deaths have occurred when they were used as a cot or bassinet rather than as a baby carrier," pediatrician Geoffrey Colvin, lead author of the study, confirms. - They are not as safe for sleeping as a crib or cradle. People are not very aware of this. I think every parent, myself included, has done this at least once. There are also cases where the child is left in the car seat while the parent or guardian is asleep or intoxicated.”

However, Colvin advises not to worry if the child falls asleep in the car seat during the trip.

“Children should always be in a car seat while traveling,” he stresses. - In such cases, it is absolutely safe for the baby, regardless of whether he is awake or sleeping. But you have to remember that car seats are for cars, and if your baby is still sleeping at the end of the trip, the best thing you can do is move him to a crib or crib. ”

The causes of death were not considered. However, Dr. Harvey Karp explains the approximate mechanism of death of children.

Positional asphyxia is a well-known term among forensic experts. With it, suffocation occurs in a position of the body in which a person cannot breathe properly.

“When a child sleeps sitting up, his heavy head can fall forward, which will lead to difficulty breathing and even suffocation”,

says Karp, recalling the case when a one and a half year old girl died in this way, when she was left in a nursery to take a nap in an abandoned car seat parents.

Babies have weak neck muscles and soft airways, so tilting the head too far forward can be fatal, especially for a sleeping baby, the researchers explain.

In addition, the seat may fall or overturn, and the seat belts may suffocate the child.

In the car, however, the seat is attached to the seat and is angled, virtually eliminating the possibility of suffocation.

Some parents can't afford to buy a crib, while others like the mobility of a car seat to keep an eye on their baby while doing other tasks.

Manufacturers of car seats, however, recommend leaving the child in them for no more than two hours, and during the trip periodically check its condition.

“If a child changes position and falls forward abruptly, parents should immediately stop and remove the child from the car seat,” recalls Cathy Holmes, a company manager.

"Car seats are important when you're traveling with your baby," says pediatrician Rachel Moon. “But don't leave your baby to sleep in them when you're at home. The safest place for a baby to sleep is on a hard, level surface."

Cribs aren't always safe for babies either - 69% of deaths in sleep are caused by bedding, found out experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Pillows, mattresses and blankets were the most common airway blockers," the researchers noted.

In 19% of cases, children slept with their parents or siblings and suffocated because they squeezed their throat or chest. 12% suffocated when stuck between two surfaces, such as a wall and a bed.

Car Seat Selection Guide - Driving Magazine

What is a shared group? What ratings should be trusted? Along the way or against? When to switch to a booster and how to understand that the child is already big enough to do without restraints, fastening with standard seat belts? “Behind the wheel” answered these and other questions.

To choose a car seat for a child, you need to know three parameters - age, height and weight. It's understandable with age. And parents of very young children know exactly the height and weight, as a rule. Parents of kindergarteners and younger schoolchildren know approximately. Exactly - only if the child has recently undergone medical examination.

0 and 0+

Newborns and infants under six months of age are transported in category 0 or 0+ seats, often referred to as "car seats" or "carriers". Children are in them in a lying position (they still do not know how to sit). And they put them against the direction of movement, since babies do not hold their heads, their neck muscles are not developed, which prevent serious injuries in the event of a sudden braking of the car or in an accident. So, against the move, it is recommended to carry children for at least a year. The Swedes, who have made a cult out of road safety, carry children backwards up to 3 years! Maybe right.

Children under the age of one (and according to Swedish recommendations - up to 3 years) can only be transported backwards.

Children under the age of one year (and according to the Swedish recommendation - up to 3 years) can only be transported backwards.

Related materials

How to carry a child: forward or backward?

Installing the infant carrier in the direction of travel, across the car (in the back seat), loose fasteners - these are all serious, if not potentially fatal mistakes. It is clear that it may be more convenient for you. But imagine (even though it's hard) what will happen to the baby in an accident. Frivolity can kill.

It is believed that the safest place in the car to install a child seat is behind the driver's seat, as the driver instinctively protects himself and exposes the other side of the car to the impact. But there are no supporting statistics to be found. If you imagine all possible impacts, it turns out that the safest place is in the middle of the back seat. But when installing a child car seat (or car seat), you need to fix it as rigidly as possible so that the seat (and the child with it) do not fly off upon impact. Of course, the child must also be securely fastened in the seat. Teach him to use belts from day one - despite the tears.

You can use your favorite toy to teach your child how to buckle up without whims.

The most important point: if you decide to put a child seat in the front seat, turn off the passenger airbag - otherwise, in the event of an accident, it can shoot into the back of the seat, break it and injure the child. And try not to be distracted by the child while driving.

Combined groups 0+/1, 0+/1/2, 0/1/2/3

Category 0+ seats are designed for children weighing up to 13 kg. On sale there are also chairs of the combined group 0+/1, designed for weights up to 18 kg. But they tend to be very large for babies, and even padded inserts don't always make up for the extra space. In addition, the child is in such a chair in a semi-sitting position, which is bad for newborns. So if we use such devices, then only when the child learns to sit. At the same time, long trips should be avoided in order to reduce the load on the spine.

Universal seats (combined groups) are usually quite bulky, expensive and not always comfortable for the child.

Universal chairs (combined groups) are usually quite bulky, expensive and not always comfortable for the child.

This is especially true for the seats of combined groups 0+/1/2 and 0+/1/2/3. Yes, there are some. The former are designed for weights from 2.2 to 30 kg, the latter - from 2.2 to 55 kg. Wow ranger! Of course, it's tempting to buy one car seat for your entire childhood rather than changing it out every couple of years. But, firstly, such a chair will be very large for the child at first, despite all the inserts, and then it may turn out to be small (for short, for example, the legs will hang in the air). Both are bad, the chair should be "fit". Secondly, before buying, the model you like must be checked for compliance with safety standards. After all, the seat is bought specifically to ensure the safety of the child. Ratings you can trust - for example, the German ADAC Automobile Club. The Germans annually conduct crash tests of current models of child seats. Unfortunately, not all models presented on the Russian market are found in these ratings. And thirdly, universal chairs are very expensive - despite the nuances mentioned above.

Armchairs groups 1, 2, 3

Related materials

These are the children! Main rules for choosing a car seat

Seats of the first group are designed for children weighing from 9 to 18 kg (conditionally from 9 months to 4 years). The second - from 15 to 25 kg (from 3 to 7 years), the third - from 22 to 36 kg (from 6 to 12 years). Recommendations for selection are given above. If your car is equipped with Isofix mounts (and most modern cars have them), it is better to choose the “isofix” model - these hold better than those that are fastened with standard belts. And therefore, safer.

Armchairs of the second group are quite rare. More often devices of group 2/3 are sold. Five-point harnesses, as a rule, are no longer in them. Such seats are fastened with standard car seat belts. And they are often disassembled into two parts - a back and a booster (seat with armrest). Booster is already the third group.

Boosters

It is sometimes said that boosters can be used from the age of four. But in this case, it is better to focus not on age, but on height and use a booster when the child outgrows 130 cm. Then regular seat belts will be able to protect the child, and not threaten him with injuries in an accident.

According to WHO, for boys, normal height at four years is from 94.9 to 111.7 cm, for girls - from 94.1 to 111.3 cm. 130 cm is quite a lot even for seven-year-olds.

According to Russian traffic rules, a child can be carried without a special device in the back seat from the age of seven. But it's still better to use a booster.

According to Russian traffic rules, a child can be transported without a special device in the back seat from the age of seven. But it's still better to use a booster.

What the SDA says

According to our Traffic Rules (in force since July 12, 2017), children under 12 years old can be transported in the front seat only when using a special restraint device (car seat or infant carrier). In the back seat, a car seat (or booster) is mandatory up to seven years. From 7 to 12 years old, parents can either use a restraint or fasten their child with standard seat belts.

From 7 to 12 years old, children in the front seat can only be transported in a car seat (or with a booster seat).