Car seat and beanstalk baby - Page 3

[sondacop]

All I want it to do is to hold the straps in place and not allow her to get herself lose by threading an arm through the space between her and the strap.

[accountclosed2]

My DD is quite slim, and also quite strong and mobile. Despite having her harness tightened VERY well, she can still get her arms out if she really wants to, I just have to keep checking her.

And we don't have a clip, as our seat is European.

Apart from that, DD sits very well in the harness.

[chickabiddy]

It is not safe to add a chest clip to a seat.

[sondacop]

I'd be worried, that even with constant checking I might miss something or not have time to pull over to adjust it and something might happen.

Why is adding a chest clip not safe?

A block from my house, yesterday morning a car ran a stop sign and hit a family in their car. The baby, about 2 year old was in a FF car seat in the back seat. The car had hit the baby's side, his door was smashed in. The baby is fine, the mom and dad were slightly injured by hitting their heads against the side of the car and from glass. It was so scary to see that so close to home, even though the car seat did a great job protecting the baby.

[HeatherB]

It's not safe because it's not designed for or tested with that seat. The European seats are a different design altogether, which is made to give the same safety performance with the ability to release a child in one click. So, they have other ways of ensuring the straps stay in place - generally, wider straps, and perhaps the strap covers, as well.

How scary to have a crash right where you live! I'm so glad everyone is okay. Remember that your DD will be even safer rearfacing, even in side-impact crashes.

[sondacop]

I don't understand why not being designed for or tested with the car seat would make it unsafe. I think that having the baby lose or with only one strap would be awful and having a chest clip on would be a lesser evil in event of a crash. If I see her once get out of her straps I will add a chest clip.

[HeatherB]

A) There are likely not any designed to actually fit those straps. The ones here are used with narrower straps.

B) If it's not tested, you have no idea how it will perform, or if it will interfere with performance.

C) The seat IS designed to have the straps stay in place when used properly. Read the manual thoroughly to ensure you are familiar with the proper ways to use it. If a child is getting out of the straps, it is likely not being used properly - as when you discovered the straps weren't even, etc.

[chickabiddy]

It is not safe to use a chest clip with a seat if the seat did not come with a chest clip. Adding a chest clip will alter the geometry of the straps. That may not be safe.

You are correct that it is not safe for a child to be in a seat in which the straps can't be adequately tightened. If your child doesn't fit in the seat, she needs a different seat. She does not need you to make her current seat unsafe.

[sondacop]

I am waiting for the manufacturers reply as to if they have chest clips that fit this car seat, or if alternate chest clips can fit. She is in properly, she is just very thin, and there is a space the size of my fist between the strap and her body. Tightening the straps just pull her shoulders uncomfortably downward. After a bit of googling I also found a company in New Zealand that specializes in making chest clips for European car seats, called Houdini, I have e-mailed them. What could be worse in a crash - to have one or both straps off, or to maybe have them slightly out of position because of an extra chest clip. The car seat is fine, my baby is skinny. Besides that I have heard from other mothers that their kids get out of the straps too.

[blessedwithboys]

Yes the carseat is fine and your baby is skinny. Those may both be indusputable facts. However, it may also be a fact that it is just not the right carseat for your child. So "fine" may not equal "the right seat for my baby at this particular weight, height, and overall body proportion". Not every baby fits in every seat and not every seat fits in every car. We totally understand that you may not have an easy time getting a new seat which does fit your baby, but that doesn't change the fact that this seat doesn't sound like a good fit for her or the fact that you cannot add a chest clip.

Here in the US there are many accessories available for sale which are not safe. It doesn't stop companies form making and marketing them. Also, in the US we have something called a "proper use clause". This means that the manufacturer of the seat sets certain safety standards and if the parent goes against them, they are committing an infraction. So here in the States, our seats use chest clips. If I removed a chest clip from my seat, I would be illegally transporting my child. Israel may not have a proper use clause, but that doesn't mean that it safe to add a chest clip that was not crash-tested on the seat.

I thought of something that I don't think anyone has mentioned. Does your seat have an adjustable female crotch buckle? Some American seats have more than one slot for the buckle so that slim kids can get a closer fit. Try that and let us know.

I bet you could upload pics of your little one in the seat to photobucket.com. That would be very helpful.

[an_aurora]

Is the gap between the strap and child over the tummy? If so, that's fine; a properly tightened harness does not contact the child along the entire length of strap--there is usually some space over the tummy. If she's getting out of the straps, you're right, that's a problem.

[~Amy~]

I believe the Houdini Stop clip is actually approved for use in NZ & AU with their seats, but not with European seats.

OP, is it possible for you to take some photos of your child in her seat & upload them to Flickr, Picassa, Photobucket or something similar? It might help us to see how the straps are lying on her.

[accountclosed2]

I don't think New Zealand make any car seats (i e, there are no NZ car seats), all the seats here are imported, and approved by the authorities. We've got a European seat, friends have an American and most people have Australian, because they are easiest to come across in the shops. But they are all approved.

But just because something is legal here doesn't mean it is safe - Kiwis are very relaxed about a lot of things. The law states that a child under the age of 5 must be in an approved car seat (unless in a taxi or something), but this includes boosters. That's all. Most babies forwards face from around the age of 1 (sometimes 9 months), and Plunket (well baby visits) give out a car safety booklet which tells you specifically to turn your child forward facing around age 1. Most people seem to think both that that is the law and that that is safer.

[~Amy~]

Originally Posted by AislinCarys

I don't think New Zealand make any car seats (i e, there are no NZ car seats), all the seats here are imported, and approved by the authorities.

Sorry, that's what I was referring to by saying NZ seats, ones that are approved for use there. Canada doesn't make car seats either...our seats are all made elsewhere (US, China, etc) and approved for use by Transport Canada...those are Canadian seats. Just not actually manufactured in Canada.

[accountclosed2]

Actually, NZ has adopted the overseas standards, so if a car seat is approved in the US, UK or Australia, it is approved in NZ (and what they refer to as UK standard is actually EU-standard, which is what our Swedish seat is approved by).

http://www.childrestraints.co.nz/standards.php

[sapphire_chan]

How do wider straps work with young babies? The straps on U.S. seats are already as wide as a newborn's shoulder.

[~Amy~]

Originally Posted by AislinCarys

Actually, NZ has adopted the overseas standards, so if a car seat is approved in the US, UK or Australia, it is approved in NZ (and what they refer to as UK standard is actually EU-standard, which is what our Swedish seat is approved by).

http://www.childrestraints.co.nz/standards.php

Okay...makes sense. I guess the Houdini Stop is approved for use in Australia, then and therefore in NZ as well, according to their site.

[sondacop]

Thanks for the suggestion to join photobucket! Here are the uploaded pictures. Most of them taken while she is asleep. Awake, she is out of her straps immediately if not sooner!
http://s837.photobucket.com/albums/zz298/sondacop/
An English link to the car seat:
http://www.very.co.uk/baby-gold-sx-c...#productReview

Most seats are made standard size. I had her sit in many seats in the store and I didn't see much difference at the time. I don't think they make special seats for skinny kids. I don't think there is a more appropriate seat to buy.

I talked to the local manufacturer Representative. He said to replace the strap padding with one with a sticky backing that would stick to her clothes. I explained why that wouldn't work and asked him about a chest clip. He has yet to be true to his promise to get back to me shortly (2 days ago).

The Houdini rep says it should work.

I don't yet understand the problem: a chest strap changes the straps from a V to a Y. Why is that a problem?

Here too must people think that the law says that the baby must be ff at age 1 or 9 kg. I was actually worried how I would explain to a cop why my baby is still rf after age 1. Thanks to all of you I am a lot more informed!

I don't know if we have a "proper use clause". there is no adjustable female crotch buckle.

[sapphire_chan]

That car seat is not right for your dd.

One thing I can't tell from any of the pictures, are there two places for the crotch strap? Because if that could be moved closer to her body, I think everything would fit better.

[TheGirls]

Yeah, it really looks like the crotch strap is miles from where it should be. Can that be adjusted at all? A lot of seats (at least in the US) have some way to slide it back and forth. I'd put it as close to her as possible and see if that helps.