Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in a child
or
infant restraint. The
instructions for the restraint will say whether
it is the right type and size for your child.
A
very young child’s hip bones are
so
small that a
regular belt might not stay low on the hips,
as
it
should. Instead, the belt will likely be over the
child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply
force right
on
the child’s abdomen, which could
cause serious or fatal injuries.
So,
be sure that
any child small enough
for
one is always properly
restrained in a child or infant restraint.
Infants need complete support, including support for
the head and neck. This is necessary because an infant’s
neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared
with the rest
of
its body.
In
a crash, an infant in a
rear-facing restraint settles into the restraint,
so
the
crash forces can be distributed across the strongest part
of the infant’s body, the back and shoulders.
A
baby
should be secured in an appropriate infant restraint.
This is
so
important that many hospitals today won’t
release a newborn infant to its parents unless there is
an infant restraint available for the baby’s first trip in
a motor vehicle.
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