When you’re trying to find a car seat for your child, the first thing you probably do is check the seat’s height restriction. After all, it would be a shame to have to buy a new car seat just because your child’s current one is too high or low for their car. But what if you don’t know your child’s size? What if you’re not sure what kind of vehicle your child will be using? In this blog post, we will help you understand the height restriction for car seats and give you some tips on how to determine which one is right for your family.
What is a height restriction for car seats?
There is no definitive answer to this question as it differs depending on the car seat and the child’s weight and size. However, most car seats should be able to accommodate children up to around 50 inches tall or 165 cm tall. If your child is significantly taller or shorter than this, you may need to look for a different car seat that can accommodate their size better.
What are the benefits of having a height restriction for car seats?
When it comes to car seats, many parents are familiar with the AAP guidelines that recommend children not be seated in a car seat that is too high or too low. But what are the benefits of having a height restriction for car seats?
A height restriction can help prevent spinal cord injury in infants. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “A child’s head and neck should never be below the level of the seat back, and their torso should fit snuggly against the side of the vehicle.” A child’s head and neck should always be above the level of the harnesses and buckles during a crash, so placing them in a high-back car seat will help ensure this.
In addition, research shows that children who are properly restrained in a high-back car seat exhibit lower rates of death or serious injury in crashes than those who are not restrained at all. A study published in The Journal Of Pediatrics showed that “use of supplemental restraint devices [like booster seats or straps] was not associated with increased risk for mortality; however, use of high-back safety seats was associated with decreased risk for fatal or serious injury among children aged 1 to 4 years old.”
The height restriction also helps protect infant brains by keeping them from hitting their heads on hard surfaces while traveling in a car. Babies’ heads weigh up to four times as much as their bodies, so if they hit their heads on something while in a car seat, there’s a greater risk of suffering a skull fracture. And according to the NHTSA, “even a minor head injury in an infant can result in serious long-term consequences, including problems with learning, memory, and attention.”
So while it may be challenging to get your infant into a car seat that meets all of the AAP guidelines, having a height restriction can ultimately protect their safety and health.
How to Raise Your Child to be Eligible for a Height Restriction for Car Seats?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of one-year-old not be seated in a car seat that is more than 20″ tall. This is because the child’s head and torso are still growing and their legs may not yet fit properly through the straps of a car seat that is this high. The AAP also recommends that children under the age of one-and-a-half should not use a forward-facing car seat, due to the risk that their head could touch the roof of the vehicle. Children over 1 year old should use a convertible car seat or booster seat with a harnesses until they reach 40 pounds, at which point they can use a standard car seat.