The Car Seat
Many states have laws mandating the use of car seats for children.
A car seat should be of a lightweight, durable material fitted with its own seat belt. Padded “wings” should extend forward from the back rest of the car seat. These should be at head height in order to keep the child’s head from snapping too far to the left or the right in case of an accident.
The car seat should also be anchored down with the automobile seat belt in the back seat of the automobile. Passengers in the back seat are at less risk for injury than those in the front seat. For children up to 18 months of age, the car seat should face backward. For older children the car seat can face forward.
The Backpack
A backpack is a useful alternative to the carriage. The baby must be able to support his or her own head before sitting in a backpack, usually around the age of four months. The pack should have adjustable shoulder straps for the parent. It also should be equipped with safety straps for the baby, or attachment points for a harness.
Some backpacks have a small strut that folds out at the back to support the pack on the ground. This strut enables the parent to comfortably put the pack on from a table top with the baby sitting in the pack; this device should never be used to convert the pack into a seat for the baby.
Soft packs, or sling carriers, can be worn in which the baby is carried in front, rather than on the back. These should not be used before the baby can hold up his or her head, at about four months. As the child gets heavier, however, a back pack is more practical.
