The real risk of coats in car seats--could someone give me resources. - Page 4

[JamieB]

Originally Posted by Jenne 

Jamie- Sorry for being unclear (and my edit was!) but DH and I have been having a discussion recently about risks and safety. That discussion was on my mind. It seems to me that overall wearing a coat (or not!) in a carseat is a relatively small risk born out by the stats on ejection from 2009. Similarly, I was looking for stats on deaths in children for flu/pnuemonia to compare with the risk of death from the various vaccines. I see how though it could be construed that I was suggesting that there is a link between not wearing a coat and flu/pnumonia. There is not.

I guess I cannot help you understand why I prefer data to speculation...even from the carseat company. Life is full of risks and I just try to understand what is a real danger and what is something that is only perceived to be a danger. Data helps with this distinction for me and for the decision making I prefer to do. I cannot speak to what other thread posters may or may not feel about data and decision making.

Obviously, this is an issue that people feel strongly about. I respect that we all have things that are near and dear to us. I guess I also don't see where people are arguing. Just giving their protocols and opinions. Isn't that how we all learn? Having lived somewhere where winter temps were regularly 20-50 below, I have much empathy with mamas trying to figure out what is best for their families. As an adult those temperatures were dangerous to me, let alone a child. (It is only logical, at 32 degrees water freezes. Blood is largely made of water. At -20 F it takes 1 *minute* of skin exposure for frostbite to begin. That means from 98.6 degrees to 32 in 60 seconds.) So, for these mamas it is really big decision to not put a coat on a child in the car.

Jenne

 Sorry for the confusion for the flu/pneumonia thing  A lot of people actually do think that....

I think we are miscommunicating here a little bit. It can be so hard online sometimes.  I am not saying that you shouldn't want actual data over speculation.  Not saying that at all.  In fact, I have a post on another forum asking for people to link me with some reall data and risks from before I even saw this thread.  All I am saying is that since it is possible that there might be a risk, and there is a way to keep your kids warm AND minimize that risk (the coat trick), why not do it?  What reason is there not to do it?  This is the arguing I am talking about.  Bolded mine, NOBODY is telling people to put their kids in the car without a coat.  Maybe in the warmer places people are using ponchos or whatever but that is still a covering.  And a fleece coat is still a coat.  In fact I think if we tested it it woud probably be warmer to be in thin layer and fleece than a puffy coat that is full of air and a shirt underneath. 

I realize not everyone is a fan of the coa trick because of the bulk but I think it is safe to say that it is a pretty happy medium/better safe than sorry solution.

[redvlagrl]

I live where it is fairly cold, but not frigid. yesterday it was -9 but very windy. I had to take off my mitts to buckle in Dd and by the time I was done (1 min?) I was in serious pain. It's quite regularly -15- -20C during the winter.

Now, I am really into safety. I bought a car seat poncho (2 actually) and they are not enough for us here. I tried the coat trick and it doesn't materially help, IMO.

We do have *down* coats though. I find I can de-puff them very well so that there is basically only a thin layer of fabric (and de-puffed down) between teh straps and DD. I have tried the test and she passes.

So perhaps this is an option for those in even colder climes. DD has the Gap warmest coat (boys' one seems to be warmer - that's what she has this year) and DS has a down filled columbia snowsuit.

I would imagine the real danger is the synthetic/cheaper puffy stuff which you cannot de-puff except under accident conditions.

This works well for us and I feel comfortable with my balance between hypothermia and compression.

[scottishmommy]

I know this thread is a little old, but what if your kid has a thermalite snowsuit? DDs snowsuit is super thin but really warm. It's thin enough that I can easily feel her bones through it. I haven't had to loosen the straps to get her in. Is she still safe?

[an_aurora]

As long as it passes the test (ie put her in the seat in the snowsuit, tighten the straps, then without loosening the straps take her out, take of the snowsuit, buckle her up and see how much slack is in the harness) it's fine.  DS has one that passes as well.

[khaoskat]

Actually, a TV show here just did a story on this.  It is called "The Doctors".  I was amazed that they actually put out the negatives/unsafeness of heavy coats in carseats and explained why, with somewhat of a demo.

[myk]

i tried the "coat trick" and couldn't do up the coat around the belt. having the coat undone the whole time wasn't a good option, either - my car doesn't warm up significantly and blankets didn't seem to help. it's been getting down to -30c every night for eons.. it's frustrating knowing that the real right-now risk is hypothermia, and the might-happen risk is child restraint failure due to snowsuit use. i'm glad i have an infant seat with a "shower cap" style cover for my soon-to-be-newborn (i'll have her in a polar fleece sleeper, the cover, and blankets in between), but what options are there for a preschool or young school age child in a booster? is there a reasonable equivilent to the "shower cap" cover for older kids that won't interfere with the belt, AND is suitable for the -30/-40 environment?

[Wild Lupine]

Someone posted on this or a similar thread that they experimented with a down jacket and found that it passed the test. She was able to get the harness just as tight with the jacket on as without. If buying a new coat is an option, that might be something to try for your older one.