Can babies wear thick coats in car seats?

Can babies wear thick coats in car seats?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): “As a general rule, bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat.”

Are winter coats dangerous in car seats?

Children shouldn’t wear bulky winter coats underneath their car seat harness. The bulky coats we wear in winter — especially down-filled puffer coats — can make the child car seat’s safety harness ineffective, and unsafe in a crash. “In a crash, the child is at risk for slipping out from under the straps.”

Why are there no winter coats in car seats?

In winter, the extra bulk of a puffy winter coat can make the safety seat harness too loose to properly secure your child in a crash. In a crash, if a child is wearing a coat, all that puffiness of the coat would compress, leaving extra room.

What should a newborn wear in a car seat?

To work properly in a crash, car seat straps must be snug. So there shouldn’t be any bulky clothing and blankets between your baby and the straps. Instead, dress them in clothes that allow the straps to go between their legs, and adjust the straps to allow for the thickness of their clothes.

Why are coats dangerous in car seats?

Bulky winter coats create enough slack in the shoulder straps to put your child at serious risk. Most winter coats are filled with bulky insulation ⏤ that’s what makes them warm. Unfortunately, that same insulation creates space between a child’s chest and the car-seat strap, which should fit snuggly when tightened.

Can babies wear sweatshirts in car seats?

Dress your child in two to four thin, tight layers in winter. As you can see, we recommend using a combination of onesies, zip up sweatshirts, leggings, pants, and a jacket (one safe for the car seat of course) to keep kids warm. Don’t forget the hat and socks!

Do infants need winter coats?

As the weather cools, baby winter clothes become a necessity — infants and toddlers are less able to regulate their body temperatures, so they’re more vulnerable to the cold. There’s much more to a protective baby dress in winter than simply throwing a baby jacket over a warm onesie and calling it a day.

Are puffer jackets safe in car seats?

Baby, it’s cold outside – but a puffy jacket can stop a car seat from doing its job in a crash, safety experts say. Properly-fitting straps redirect crash forces to a child’s shoulders and hips instead of their internal organs or neck – and if the straps get loose, they might not do that.

Can you put baby in bunting in car seat?

Parents should avoid using any aftermarket cover, blanket, sleeping bag, or bunting where any part of the product has to go in before the baby is buckled snug. If the entire product can go on after the baby is safely buckled, it is not interfering with the function of the car seat in a crash.

Are bulky winter coats and car seats a dangerous combination?

But bulky winter coats and car seats are a dangerous combination. We want to avoid having a lot of bulky clothing inside the harnessing system in the child restraint. Because in a crash all the bulk will squish down and the harness straps will be loose.

Can I wear a coat in the car seat?

You see, wearing coats, heavy sweaters or fleeces, for that matter, can prevent a snug and very important fit of the harness, which has to be tight at the shoulders and hips every time. You might think your child is securely snug in the car seat when in fact the harness is not tight enough because there is so much air in the coat or clothing.

Can I put a coat under my child’s car seat harness?

Car seat technicians say to put nothing thicker than a sweatshirt on your child under the harness straps of a car seat. Here is a simple way to check if your child’s coat is too big to wear under their harness: Put the coat on your child, sit them in the child seat and fasten the harness.

What to put under the harness straps of a car seat?

Because in a crash all the bulk will squish down and the harness straps will be loose. Car seat technicians say to put nothing thicker than a sweatshirt on your child under the harness straps of a car seat.