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[Taz2]

Hi ladies - I've just read this article about how young babies placed in car seats are in danger of suffocation due to them not being strong enough to lift their heads to keep their airways clear. I thought it was a shock headline at first but reading up on in on the web it does seem to be something that's been known about for sometime. Thirty one babies died from this. It doesn't affect me directly but lots of you are grandparents so this is really for you. One of the causes is those times when you bring the baby back from shopping or some trip out and they are asleep so you remove the seat from the car and let the baby finish their sleep in the house still in the seat. Such a horrible thing to happen. The Lullaby Trust are to issue guidelines to parents http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/621160/Car-seats-babies-killed

Taz  x 

[Joyce]

Car seats - the bane of grandparents life - grandad and I have had more arguments getting the darn things in and out of the car and working out how the fastenings work than we've had about any other aspect of looking after our grandkids 

Us too Stellajane. Buggies too are bane of our lives when using. Daughter thinks we've lost it!

Maybe it's time for manufacturers to rethink their designs. Both our GDs were in car seats when very little. Could be wrong but many baby seats can be adjusted so they go into lie back position.On long journeys their dad would sit beside them. On short journeys car seat was put in passenger seat, facing backwards,  so driver could keep eye on them.

[Taz2]

As a matter of interest did either of you know of the dangers of small babies in car seats? Seems incredible that thirty one have died due to this and it is still not something that the manufacturers seem keen to address.

Taz x

[Joyce]

As a grandmother I had questions, but my daughter managed to convince me they wouldn't sell things if unsafe. It would appear that was not the case. 

When our two were little babies, we used a carry cot in the back seat.

Years ago before buggies became "prams" I refused to put our daughter in one until she could sit unaided. Even then I bought one which could adjust to semi lie back. However, I saw many little toots in upright styles at very early age. My two were humfed around in baby slings. No wonder I got a bad back.

[CLKD]

  I could never understand how car seats could be a good idea anyway ……. something that can be moved from car to car has the chance of not being fixed correctly. 


We had heavy prams which lifted off the chassis/wheels - then fitted behind the front seats absolutely securely.  Because vehicles were smaller in the 1940s/50s/60s …… the hood remained up and babies were tightly swaddled in a blanket to keep them warm, no heaters either  .  We weren't allowed in the front until we were able to sit up, around the age of 5 ……. no seat belts but we were told to sit still and hold onto the edge of the seat.  Then vechiles became faster so children were thrown through the front windows  . 

A slight meander is that I HATE seeing children in prams that face away from the parent  the number of babies/children I see being ignored makes my blood boil  .  It means that many children need to shout to attract attention, it makes them angry and means that they are subject to exhaust fumes, dogs lifting their legs (seen it  ), gloves etc. dropped and parent not noticing.

[Ju Ju]

DH still hasn't mastered the art of putting in the car seat. I usually do it and it's tricky and not obvious where to put the seat belt.

DD had a push chair with the child facing away from whoever was pushing. However, GS was carried a lot in a back pack, initially front then on the back. The push chair was chosen as it was light and compact to put in the car. GS was certainly not ignored. As soon as he was able to walk, he didn't use the pushchair except in town and shopping.

[CLKD]

I am childless by choice ………… but have watched many children screaming to be noticed and the parents walking along, more recently on their mobiles  .  We live near several large towns and I'm a great people watcher  .

As I stated, because cars were smaller babies in cots were safe.  As long as the pram-thingy was sideways on and not so that the child could be thrown out if the vehicle braked hard ……. we never lost any of our relatives. 

Worth being reminded that all child safety aids should be used correctly.  (that includes dogs too ;-) ).  I saw a parent with a young child, probably about 8 months old, on her lap the other day travelling quite fast  .  The vehicle was packed with people, luggage, stuff so the child was on the lap, even if they were only going a 'short distance'  ……..