When you travel with your baby, car seat safety is of maximum importance. However, many people make the false assumption that child car safety only requires a couple of simple buckles and then just throw on toddler car seat covers for Graco and that will do the trick. That’s completely wrong! If you want to learn more about how your baby’s coat could be a safety issue in the wintertime, keep on reading down below.
How to keep your baby safe and warm in their car seat?
Normally, when you hear the term baby’s safety, you think about babyproofing the house. Perhaps you consider how you are going to prepare the crib so it does not pose as a safety hazard during naps. And there is a chance that you are always looking out for the safest toys for your baby.
It is pretty safe to say, that not many people regard a winter coat and toddler car seat covers for Graco as a danger. To a parent, putting a winter coat on a child is a method of keeping your baby warm, protected from the cold, and comfortable.
Therefore, how is it possible that placing your baby in a warm coat during winter and putting toddler boy car seat covers or girl toddler car seat covers a risk for your baby? In reality, this is a safety concern that is worth your time investigating further.
Why are puffy coats dangerous to babies in car seats?
No parent wants their child to feel cold during the winter season. That’s why many parents purchase toddler car seat covers for Graco. And no matter where your child is whether the child is in the car is being carried from one place to another or being carried from one place to another, a coat is supposed to keep them warm and protect them from hypothermia.
So, keeping that in mind, it is no wonder we often go for the bulkiest coat because we believe it is the best option. And yes, in some situations, a bulky coat is the best choice.
Unfortunately, experts do not say the same for bulky coats and car seats. You may think that those puffy coats may make your little ones look as snug as a bug and all cute and sweet, but they lower your baby’s safety in the infant car seat, even with toddler car seat covers for Graco.
Every inch of puffiness in the coat, means more space separating your baby from the safety of the car seat harness.
Typically, when you first purchase a car seat, you make adjustments to each strap. When you do this, your baby fits cozily in the car seat.
You ensure that the straps are not too tight to give your baby any pain. However, in the case of an accident, your baby will stay firmly in his or her car seat. Also, he or she will not wiggle out or be jerked around too much. Nevertheless, the moment you put your baby in a puffy coat, the straps on the car seat will require loosening.
Because it is a puffy coat, the baby can still wiggle and fidget around very easily. To this extent, your baby is not as safe and protected in the car seat as he or she was without the puffy coat.
If an accident were to happen, there is no promise that the baby will not get whiplash. The baby may even get out of the car seat because of the extra space.
A coatless baby could mean hypothermia
So, you are probably thinking the simple and straight answer is to take off your baby’s coat before putting him in the car. Although we have just mentioned above the dangers of puffy coats and car seats, this is not the correct solution.
Keep in mind the entire reason you bought the coat to start with: to keep your baby warm and to protect him or her from cold temperatures and hypothermia. Once you take the coat off, he or she becomes vulnerable to these dangers again.
Contrary to older children and adults, a baby’s tolerance for cold temperature is much lower. If your baby’s temperature is 97.7 degrees or lower, he or she may be experiencing hypothermia.
The symptoms of hypothermia in babies are:
- Crying
- Loss of appetite
- Low energy
- Low blood sugar
- Cold skin
- Low oxygen levels
Depending on how long hypothermia goes on, other risk factors include decay of tissue and frostbite.
The definition of hypothermia is a condition that happens when the body is losing heat faster than it can produce heat.
Can you heat the car rather than protect the baby from the cold?
You may be thinking if you put the heat on in the car before putting your coatless child in the car seat will work.
However, even if you make the effort of heating the car before fastening your child into his or her car seat, you are still not making sure your child will not experience cold temperatures. You could be in a car accident or another unanticipated circumstance may happen, leaving you and your child at risk.
If you cannot help your baby, he or she may be exposed to the cold temperatures without his or her coat on. With the high probability of hypothermia, the danger is not worth it.
What is the best way to keep a baby warm in a car seat?
Fortunately, there is an answer to both concerns. You can make sure your child is warm in the car seat and safely secure.
It only requires the appropriate type of infant winter coat and the right types of layers. Prior to getting out of the car, make sure your child is correctly dressed.
This could mean adding an extra layer that you would probably put on. Try to get some of the thinner items in your baby’s closet.
