All together now… “That’s unrealistic!”
If this was a TV news story, I’d be starting off with a montage of moms rolling their eyes and replying “that’s unrealistic” when I tell them that “the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Green Science Policy Institute and many others are urging parents NOT to use car seats as stroller seats or let a child sleep in a car seat outside of the car.”
Frankly “that’s unrealistic” was also my response to Arlene Blum of the Green Science Policy Institute during a recent interview for these two stories about flame retardant chemicals in car seats.
I literally laughed out loud when she followed up “don’t use car seats as stroller seats” with “and don’t let your kids eat in their car seats.”
Arlene’s primary concern is the chemical flame retardants in car seats (some known to cause cancer) that break down into dust. Kids inhale and ingest that dust and, as a result, studies show that kids have the highest levels of those chemicals in their blood.
NewsMom Must-Read:
Toxic Safety: Car Seat Flame Retardants
I’ve blogged extensively about the “Concerning Chemicals in Car Seats” and I was shocked to discover they’ve even been found in the high-end, supposedly-green car seats. However, reducing prolonged exposure to chemicals that may cause cancer, neurological disorders and reproductive issues is not the primary reason most are urging parents not to use car seats outside of the car.
SIDS & Sleep-Related Deaths in Car Seats
Sleep-related deaths are the most common cause of death for infants under 12 months. In a recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found two-thirds of the deaths they analyzed involved car seats.
Now, I get it. That could never happen to you, right? When my producer Jen went out to get MOS (man on the street) interviews with moms at the mall, each one responded with statements like, “Well, I check my baby constantly to make sure he’s breathing.”
Wake up call: The study found babies died of asphyxia (positional or strangulation) in as little as four minutes after their caregivers last saw them alive.
Infants and children 2 years of age and younger should be properly restrained and not be left unsupervised in sitting and carrying devices. Car seats should not be used as sleeping areas outside of the vehicle, and children should never be in a car seat with unbuckled or partially buckled straps.
The study’s author, Dr. Erich Batra, says they found that car seats are generally safe when babies are securely strapped in them in the car. However, problems arise when parents remove the car seat from the car and loosen or remove the straps.
“You should not use a car seat outside of the car, and an infant should never be in a car seat with partially buckled straps,” Batra told CBS News.
Batra’s study follows several others with similar findings. This study out of New Zealand also concluded, “Young infants should not be left unattended to sleep in standard car safety seats.”
Now, to be clear, it is not necessary to prevent your baby from falling asleep in the car while they are securely strapped into their car seats. The safest place for a child in a moving vehicle is securely strapped into a rear-facing car seat in the center position of the back seat.
Though according to Stephanie Tombrello of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. 90% of safety seats are used incorrectly and ” loose harnesses are a major issue overall in safety seats.” She points out that parents often “don’t have the harness snug enough, don’t have the retainer clip/chest clip at armpit level, or don’t correct many other errors, often because they refuse to read the instructions.”
When it comes to positional asphyxiation, the issues primarily arise when the car seat straps are loosened and/or the car seat is removed from the car. Babies can be (are being) 1) strangled by lose straps, 2) slumped into a position that restricts their airways, or 3) the car seat falls off a high surface or tips over on the ground or in the crib, suffocating or injuring the baby.
Bottom line, “back is best” and outside of the car they should be on a flat, firm surface. The American Academy of Pediatrics changed their recommendation back in 1992, urging parents to put babies to sleep flat on their backs.
According to the CDC’s National Infant Sleep Position Study, the dramatic decrease in the number of SIDS-related deaths since the ’90s directly correlates with the dramatic increase of parents placing babies to sleep flat on their backs.
But while SIDS deaths have declined, sleep-related deaths from other causes, including suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia, have increased.
Keep in mind, the sleeping-in-car-seat phenomena is fairly new. Our parents didn’t let us sleep in car seats (largely because we didn’t have them). In Europe, most parents still use lie-flat stroller seats or bassinet strollers and think we’re strange (or lazy) for refusing to remove our kids from car seats.
Don’t Wake a Sleeping Baby
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Millions of kids sleep in car seats every day.
The thought of taking them out of their car seats and risk waking them can be unconscionable to exhausted new parents deep in the throes of the “witching hour.”
Initially, I had the same thought. Then I imagined my sweet baby C never waking up from that nap.
I can’t help but tear up when I imagine the heartbreak baby Devon’s and baby Shepard’s parents must have felt when they realized their infants were basically killed by their car seats.
Fifteen-month old Devon was taking a nap in her car seat, where a babysitter left her to sleep. Police say paramedics tried for more than an hour to revive her. She never woke up.
According to Devon’s parents, her babysitter left the straps on her car seat partially unbuckled while the baby slept. Devon was apparently strangled by the straps.
By the time 11-week old Shepard died, authorities say his childcare providers should have known better. Just two weeks before he was found dead in his car seat by a day care teacher, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services cited Shepard’s in-home day care for allowing infants to sleep in car seats in spite of regulations that prohibit it due to the risk of SIDS.
However, authorities say Shepard was put to sleep in an unbuckled car seat and placed alone in a room anyway. While the medical examiner ruled the death “unexplained”, authorities believe Shepard died of ‘positional asphyxiation,’ likely slumped into a position in the unbuckled car seat that compromised his breathing.
The day care reportedly lost its license as a result of Shepard’s death and Shepard’s family is now lobbying for state laws to hold day care teachers like theirs accountable.
Cancer-Causing Chemicals in Car Seats
However, risk of asphyxiation is just one of the reasons a growing number of experts are urging parents to leave the car seat in the car.
Cancer and other long-term health concerns are the primary reasons environmental scientists are urging parents to reduce the amount of time kids spend in car seats.
According to cancer.org, about 10,380 U.S. children will be diagnosed with cancer this year. In most of those cases, their parents will never know why.
However, scientists from around the world believe that increased exposure to low doses of various chemicals are increasing the risk of cancer.
A recent study by the Ecology Center found nearly 75 percent of car seats tested contained concerning chemical flame retardants that may “harm the nervous system, cause cancer and/or disrupt the hormone (endocrine) system.”
This month the Consumer Product Safety Commission held a hearing to consider removing a certain class of flame retardants from several categories of consumer goods, including children’s products and household furniture.
However, for now, car seats must comply with the federal motor vehicle flammability standard FMVSS 302, so most (if not all) still contain flame retardants.
Environmental scientists argue that flame retardants in car seats provide little safety benefit because once the fire reaches the cab of the car, foam underneath the child is unlikely to protect him from a car fire fueled by combustible materials.
As noted in many of my previous news reports and NewsMom posts, the chemical industry asserts that flame retardants are safe and that they ultimately save lives.
The public should know TDCPP (and other flame retardants) slows the spread of fire, and with fire, every second counts. TDCPP and other flame retardants have been reviewed by regulators and found to be safe at the levels people are typically exposed to them.
NOTE: TDCPP is a flame retardant that was banned from children’s clothing in the 70’s but is still widely found in car seats and other products. It is listed as a carcinogen, “known to cause cancer” by the state of California.
Regardless, for now you can not avoid chemical flame retardants in car seats, but you can reduce the amount of time your kids spend in them.
The recommendations from regulators and/or environmental scientists:
- Don’t use a car seat as a stroller seat
- Don’t let your child sleep in the car seat outside of the car
- Don’t let your child eat in the car seat (yeah, right)
- Wash your child’s hands when she gets out of the car
- Wash your car seat fabric often
(Note: Some manufactures advise NOT to wash the fabric. Check with them to find out why.)
Now What?
As a consumer-investigative reporter, I am terrified by what I learn on a regular basis and I have to be careful not to become overly paranoid. Instead, I try to focus on the little things we can do to help “reduce risk.”
Most, including the Mayo Clinic, suggest using a lie-flat stroller seat or bassinet attachment in a stroller for babies under 6 months. Pretty much every major manufacturer has a bassinet attachment for their stroller and they range from under $100 to several hundred dollars.
For those that simply can’t afford another baby accessory (I get it!) and feel they must use a car seat in the stroller, make sure the baby is securely fastened into the car seat at all times and, per the Mayo Clinic, try to limit their car seat time to under 2 hours.
Outside of the car (or the stroller if you must use a car seat), experts stress you should never allow a baby to sleep or just hang out in the car seat.
“It is essential that they not spend inordinate amounts of time sitting, just because it is more convenient for the adults around them,” said Tombrello.
With all this in mind, I have to ask myself: Would it really have been that unrealistic to physically remove my infant from her car seat when not in the car? It seems to me, investing in a bassinet or lie-flat stroller seat instead of using the car seat in the stroller seems doable. We needed a separate stroller six months later, anyway, when she grew out of her infant car seat.
Sure, waking a sleeping baby to take her out of the car may mean months of sleepless colicy hell, but that’s nothing compared to the lifetime of guilt I would feel knowing I could have prevented SIDS… or even slightly reduced my child’s risk of cancer.
We’re the lucky ones. Whether or not we’re worried about the risk, at least we’re aware of it and can make an educated decision about what’s right for our families.
Unfortunately, most parents and caregivers have no idea that sleeping in a car seat is in any way unsafe. I encourage you to share this information far and wide to give every parent in your life the same opportunity to make their own educated decision.
Chime In!
Comment below or on Facebook. We want to hear what you think!
Are we favoring convenience over caution? Are we overreacting? Will this information change how you use your car seat?
NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify points addressed in the comments below.
LEARN MORE: Toxic Safety: Car Seat Chemicals Continuing Coverage
Most car seat manufacturers recommend NOT to wash the seat fabric in hot water, some you can’t even machine wash. Also, saying “they should’ve know better” about a family who lost their child to SIDS. HORRIBLE thing to say. And honestly your opinion takes away from the story
Hi Jbose, Thank you so much for your comments.
First let me address the most important issue – I would NEVER blame a family who lost their child to SIDS or any other tragedy! If you re-read the line you quote here it says his “caregivers” (i.e. his day care teachers) should have known better. They were previously cited by the state for allowing infants to sleep in car seats in spite of state regulations that prohibit it. The day care reportedly lost its license as a result of Shepard’s death because the state (and Shepard’s family) says the caregivers “should have known better.”
“By the time 11-week old Shepard died, his caregivers should have known better. Just two weeks before he was found dead in his car seat, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services warned Shepard’s in-home day care not to let infants sleep in car seats due to the risk of SIDS.”
Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I will clarify for folks who don’t know the full story and did not click on the link to read more about baby Shepard’s family, which is now lobbying for legislation to hold child caregivers like theirs accountable.
Secondly, you are correct that some car seat manufactures do not recommend washing car seat fabric. I will get carseat.org to weigh in on this and update the article.
My understanding is that in most cases, they tell you not to wash the fabric because it will reduce the levels of chemical flame retardants in the fabric. That is precisely why many environmental scientists recommenced washing it anyway. Of course, if washing the fabric compromised the effectiveness of the seat in a crash, then of course you would not want to do that.
I recommend that you read https://newsmom.com/concerning-chemicals-in-orbit-baby-car-seats/ for a better understanding of chemical flame retardants in car seats and check back for an update to this post.
Again, thanks so much for your feedback!
Julie
So what if my son falls asleep in car am I suppose to wake him n make sure he doesn’t sleep while riding in the car or is this just about when getting to a destination they shouldn’t be left in the car seat???
Hi Kim, Great question.
Researchers say that “babies are generally safe in the car” (translation don’t worry about them sleeping in the car) as long as they are securely strapped into their seats.
When it comes to positional asphyxiation, the issues arise when the car seat straps are loosened and/or the car seat is removed from the car. Babies can be (are being) 1) strangled by lose straps, 2) slumped into a position that restricts their airways, or 3) the car seat falls off a high surface or tips over on the ground or in the crib, suffocating or injuring the baby.
Of course the other issue is extended exposure to flame retardants and other chemicals in car seats. Environmental scientists say for now, exposure to those chemicals “in the car” is a necessary evil. However, they stress that you should reduce exposure by using something other than a car seat outside of the car.
Hope that helps!
– Julie
Since it is not safe to allow babies to ride in the car seat that “attaches” to the stroller, is it safe to put them in the stroller without the car seat? I am speaking of the stroller/car seat combos you can purchase.
Thanks for the article. I knew about not allowing them to sleep in the car seat but no idea about the chemicals.
Thanks for the comment!
My understanding is the safest place for infants to sleep outside of the car is on a flat firm surface. i.e. bassinet attachment for a stroller or in a crib/bassinet – though there may be some strollers out there designed with lie-flat seats that are safe for infants then transition to a sitting seat for toddlers.
I know most manufacturers make bassinet attachments for strollers. However, my understanding is that standard umbrella and jogging strollers seats are not safe for infants.
I am glad you are spreading this information however it seems ludicrous for moms to accept the stays quo and make our lives more difficult instead of taxing the chemical companies with the burden to prove the safety of a chemical before it is allowed on the marketplace, especially in the products used by our most vulnerable class, children. There are alternatives to the highly flammable materials that car seats are cheaply made of then dunked in cancer-causing chemicals to make them über cheap to manufacture and raise the profit margins of the companies we trust to make our children safer. Wool is much less flammable and could be used in batting and material for car seats while still protecting the child.Foam can be made of natural latex that is not carcinogenic. Until recently tons of baby products contained pvc poly vinyl chloride off gasses arsenic in unsafe levels. Did crib mattress companies voluntarily remove this chemical that was fda approved for use in baby products?? No, they did not. Consumers chose European crib mattresses and baby toys that were pvc free and unlikely to cause ‘sids’. Then the made in China crap caught up because it was affecting their bottom line. The only way to effect change is to speak with your voice and your wallet. Maybe I’ll start selling some alternative materials for the foam and covers. Then people who want to rest easy and let baby sleep securely strapped in, can use my superior product and let baby sleep. You know how they say, ‘never wake a sleeping baby’. Sleeping is healthy. Most people can’t afford to hire round the clock help and sit home while baby naps in their crib. If you wake a baby there is no guarantee it will fall back asleep. Let’s put the burden on the manufactureres. Not more on parents. They already shoulder enough with everything else!!
Thanks for the comment Kimberly! Based on your comment, I’m thinking you’d be interested in this one too!
https://newsmom.com/car-seat-flame-retardant-in-my-child/
I’m sorry, but there’s a lot of conflicting info in this article. I think it would actually be safer to let your child sleep in the car seat/stroller combo as long as they’re securely buckled in and its a model where the seat faces you. My sons even reclines back, so his head doesn’t fall forward. Never had an issue with that and I can see his face when out on walks.
” you should not worry about babies actually sleeping “in the car” as long as they are securely strapped into their car seats.” Actually I get very nervous when he sleeps in the car because he has to face the back and I can’t see him if there isn’t a mirror hung up on the headrest for me to see his face. And even then it isnt foolproof, because my rearview mirror doesn’t give me much sight of the back seat.
I actually felt he was much safer when he was riding in his stroller facing me.
I’m not saying it could never happen, it seems like anything is possible these days, but the chances are extremely slim if you know how to secure the baby correctly and you keep a close watch over them.
Hi Molly, thanks for your comment…
To be clear, the quote you reference, “you should not worry about babies actually sleeping “in the car” as long as they are securely strapped into their car seats” was intended to clarify that no parent should ever allow their child to ride in a car outside of a car seat. It was specifically in response to a parent who asked if they should prevent their baby from falling asleep in the car. No. That is not necessary. A rear-facing car seat in the middle position is the safest place for a child in a moving vehicle.
That said, allowing your baby to sleep in a car seat outside of the car – even properly buckled — is discouraged for many reasons.
It is true that many of the SIDS related deaths that are attributed to car seats occurred while the baby was not properly buckled in or was out of sight from the caregiver. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Mayo-Clinic, sleeping for an extended period in a seated – or partially seated- position is also linked to SIDS deaths because it can prevent a baby from getting enough oxygen.
That’s is why every organization (CDC, AAP, CPSC, etc.) stress that you should “Always place babies on their backs to sleep”
Additionally, one of the primary concerns of toxicologists and environmental scientists about using your car seat as a stroller seat is the unnecessary extended exposure to untested or known-carcinogenic flame retardant chemicals that are commonly used in car seats. These chemicals are not necessary to meet federal standards in bassinets stroller attachments and stroller seats; however, they are ostensibly required to meet federal regulations for car seats. Thus, if you use your car seat as sleep device you may be unnecessarily extending your child’s exposure to concerning chemicals at what scientist say is a crucial period in their development.
I hope that clarifies this information a bit more for you!
FROM THE MAYO-CLINIC:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/stroller-safety/art-20043967
“If you use a travel system that allows you to move your baby’s car seat from your vehicle to a stroller base, you might be tempted to let your baby finish car naps in the car seat. However, research suggests that sitting upright in a car seat might compress a newborn’s chest and lead to lower levels of oxygen in the blood. Even mild airway obstruction can impair a child’s development. Experts suggest not letting your child sleep or relax in the car seat for more than two hours.
Sitting in a car seat for lengthy periods can also contribute to the development of a flat spot on the back of your baby’s head, as well as worsen any gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — a chronic digestive disease.”
Hey, I am a new mom and I usually take the car seats out of the car and let my baby sleep with it in the park but of course with my guidance. Is it dangerous?
Hi Karen,
I think many sleep safety experts would prefer you remove the baby from the car seat and place him/her in a portable bassinet/stroller attachment. However, I think most new moms know that is not always realistic.
My understanding is that most car seat-related sleep deaths occur because the baby sinks/slouches down in the car seat and suffers from positional affixation – often because the caregiver has loosend or removed the straps from the child. OR the child is left alone (unsupervised) to sleep in the car seat and slides out/attempts to get out and strangles themselves on the straps.
If you are with your child and he/she are properly strapped in – outside of the car – these two scenarios would not likely apply. Still, I think most experts on this topic would recommend a flat firm sleep surface outside of the car – even at the park.
Thank you so much for sharing such informative post, worth reading.
Thanks for the informative article. We skipped the infant car seat for #2, and will also for #3. But instead of sitting money on a bassinet that is so temporary, we wore baby in a baby carrier straight out of the car. Baby wakes up for less than a minute out of the car seat and back to sleep within a few minutes. Checks were obviously in place that baby’s head is to the side and airway is not blocked, and that baby was snug. That was the easiest way to get around and have a safe place for baby.
Very creative post about baby stroller. I appreciate your writing. Hope for next article. Thank you.
Very informative article. I appreciate your opinion. It is sad how things for safety can be so deadly when used incorrectly. And that so many caregivers are uninformed. And it’s hard to tell a parent they’re doing it wrong. I really appreciate you.
As a soon to be mom, I have decided I want the car seat that grows as your baby does. It doesnt detach from the car. So I wont have an issue of my baby being asleep and keeping her in the carseat.
However the issue I’m running into is finding a stroller that is safe for an infant with out the car seat attachment.
I can’t afford 2 car seats. And to be honest I dont want two.
If you or any Mom reading this please give me advice on which stroller is best!!!
Thanks!!
Very good information for all care keepers, especially new parents!
Now imagine this: as a new mother, I’m stressed about a lot of things and, of course, the lack of sleep doesn’t help. I’m a doctor and I happened to know this so I’ve always been extra careful when the baby is in the car seat and NEVER put the car seat in the stroller (I have a Chicco trio that comes with a flat surface bassinet, but the car seat also attaches to the stroller if you wish to). Unfortunatelly, it seems to be a growing fashion here in Portugal (Europe) to use the car seat in the stroller – there’s not a day that passes without me seeing at least a baby going for a walk in a stoller woth the carvseat attached. Let alone going for medical apointments, etc. As if this didn’t make my heart ache (I get a but anxious just by watching so many babies like this, I confess) every single time my mother comes by when I have to leave the house, she doesn’t stop saying how I’m unpractical, how I’m exaggerated, how I should just use the car sear in the stroller instead of carryinh around the huge bassinet (AND the chicco trio is super practical and easy to use! Imagine that!) and no matter how many tines I tell her and even stress why I happen to know this, she keeps on insisting and saying how many babies she sees in the car seat+stroller. She’s just driving me mad. The last time she even said she never heard such a thing (because yes, me being a doctor and having explained to her why I don’t do it isn’t credible enough) and if it really was bad for the baby every pediatrician would advice parents and they wouldn’t even go to the appintments like that (and she happened to see more than a baby like that the lastvtime she gave me a ride to out appointment). So yes.. even if people know, they’ll beliebe what they want and do as they please. Which is sad. (And don’t even gwt me started at those people who leave their newborns in those 4moms, clearly with their nexj all flexed – I’ve seen this way too much on instagram from “influencers” woth newborns. Now imagine all the people who follow them buying one and doing the same! I really think this should be more talked with the oarents. At least here im Portugal, we all talk about how important it is for the baby to sleep on their back etc etc; but I believe this issues are not well known as they should.
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It is a vital reminder for parents. Transitioning a sleeping baby from car seat to stroller may seem convenient, but safety should always come first. Let’s prioritize safe sleep practices and ensure our little ones are secure and comfortable, even on the move. Check out the best gel seat cushion for car – https://econour.com/collections/best-seat-cushion
It is a vital reminder for parents. Transitioning a sleeping baby from car seat to stroller may seem convenient, but safety should always come first. Let’s prioritize safe sleep practices and ensure our little ones are secure and comfortable, even on the move.
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