Carrying Premature and Low Birth-Weight
Babies
As advised by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,
the safest way for babies to travel in a car is in an approved rearward facing
car seat, that is suitable for the car and child, correctly fitted and in the
rear of the car. However, research in the USA has suggested that premature and
low-birth weight babies can be susceptible to breathing problems if they stay
in a baby seat for long periods of time.
The research showed that some newborn babies developed breathing
problems after one hour in the baby seat, with some premature babies actually
stopping to breathe for a short period of time. If you have a premature or low-birth
weight baby, the advice from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
is:
- Ask the hospital to assess whether it is safe for the baby to travel in
a car seat before you are discharged (some hospitals routinely do this assessment)
- When the hospital says it is safe to take the baby home, make sure that
you put the baby in an approved rearward facing car seat that is suitable
for the car and is properly fitted
- Do not keep the baby in the car seat for longer than necessary
- Recline the car seat as much as possible when in the car (making sure you
follow the manufacturer's instructions for fitting and using it). Some new
car seats offer a lie flat facility Click
here to find out more
- Never leave the child unattended in the car seat. Try to have someone else
do the driving, so you can sit next to the baby to keep an eye on him or her
- Keep car travel to a minimum in the first few months
- Only use the car seat in the vehicle and not on an integrated travel system
or for feeding or sleeping etc
- If in any doubt, consult the hospital or your GP
<<
back to main car seat menu
<<
back to 'how to choose' homepage