PSA car seat sleeping (trigger warning loss mentioned in article)

amdecker1016 · February 2014

This was shared on my facebook, its about a two month old article so i'm not sure if anyone has seen it or shared.
As a FTM i probably would be guilty of doing this, so it was a very good reminder!

https://m.ksl.com/index/story/sid/711452?mobile_direct=y

sebullows · February 2014

I was on my here to post the same article, you beat me to it.

I did this with the baby I babysat over the summer. I can't believe I did this and I'm so glad I read it! Thanks for sharing.

KariB509 · February 2014

Yikes. When DS fell asleep in the car, if always bring his carseat inside and let him continue to sleep. Never thought anything of it. Scary. Makes me wonder the dangers of the baby falling asleep in the car seat period though? Ugh so much to worry about.

angelsnight · February 2014

So sad. But I'm confused. What is the difference between sleeping in the carseat in the living room, and in the car? We haven't installed our car seat yet, but is the car seat at more of an angle in the car so their heads don't bend forward?

Also, wouldn't a 15 month old be able to pick her head up if her breathing became compromised?

codec · February 2014

I think its when you leave a baby unsupervised sleeping in a car seat or other slanted forward surface and their head flips forward that is the problem, not the car seat itself.

I'mGonnaMarryYou · February 2014

I did this with DD all of the time and her pediatrician said it was fine. I plan on discussing with her again.

Andreabills · February 2014

So very sad, my heart breaks for that family! Also, the article said the baby was 15 months old. This may be a stupid FTM question but how long do babies typically stay in those bucket infant seats that you remove from the car? I didn't realize babies stayed in them that long.

ring_pop · February 2014

Andreabills said:

So very sad, my heart breaks for that family! Also, the article said the baby was 15 months old. This may be a stupid FTM question but how long do babies typically stay in those bucket infant seats that you remove from the car? I didn't realize babies stayed in them that long.

I'd say it's probably a minority that use them for that long. DS1 only used the bucket seat for about 6 months. There were a handful of mamas on my BMB whose babies were small and used the bucket seat for a year or more.

Heartbreaking story.

Andreabills · February 2014

@babycaps, I knew about the rear facing thing, I guess I just assumed that most kids outgrow their infant seats and graduate to a convertible seat by 15 months. Thanks for the link!

ewallace00 · February 2014

@babycaps. What is an acceptable / maximum amount of time to let a baby sleep in a RnP, Mamaroo, inclined surface etc? TIA!

Golferbee · February 2014

I'm still confused on what the difference is when it is in the car and when it is out...

DTNZ4Ever · February 2014

Andreabills said:
So very sad, my heart breaks for that family! Also, the article said the baby was 15 months old. This may be a stupid FTM question but how long do babies typically stay in those bucket infant seats that you remove from the car? I didn't realize babies stayed in them that long.

DS was only in the infant seat for 6-7 months. He was really tall so out grew the height quickly.

BrideNamedMeg · February 2014

Not that it changes what happened, but this article is from 2006 - I have no idea why it's making the Facebook rounds now...

cawettig · February 2014

I feel very lucky right now and a horrible mom now. My first born slept in his car seat next to my bed for the first two months. I didn't know any better (18 years old mom then). I read books but never read anything against it. I'm so grateful nothing happened. (By the way that was 11.5 years ago)

AriaAmante143 · February 2014

I'm a FTM so I have no experience, but I've heard if your baby has reflux it's better to have them sleep at a slight incline (like a RnP). My nephew had a lot of reflux issues and that was the only way my sister could get him to sleep for any stretch of time. This is obviously something I'll discuss with my pedi, but @babycaps maybe you can weigh in on this.

[Deleted User] · February 2014

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VineyardMel · February 2014

There is an awesome car seat group on FB called Car Seats for the Littles. The certified techs there talked about how the seats are at a better angle in the base in the car. They also say you should stop to check a sleeping child every 2hrs if they are sleeping when driving.

iheartbooks · February 2014

Just to clarify, the pack n play bassinets ate not the same thing as a rock n play, right? Because the bassinets are a flat surface, so they are ok for baby to sleep on regularly? We are moving when baby is about two months so weren't going to bother getting a crib until then and just let her sleep in the pack n play's bassinet.

katykatykaty · February 2014

babycaps said:

It's because unpublished, NOT on the news stories like this one that I beg and plead ALL of you to please not let your babies sleep in surfaces that are not meant for long-term sleeping. Like RockNPlays, Car seats, and other type contraptions. Same reason I say please don't use crib bumpers
A little sleeping in a car seat is ok here and there. It's the long-term, non-supervised shit that gets dangerous. Just be safe ladies. Always put your baby's safety first!

The angle of an infant car seat is very different from the angle of a cradle swing... At least the one that we used. There's no way DD's head could have fallen forward like that in her swing, even at a very young age.

I get that it's an issue, but I hope you guys don't start screaming at your babies in the car to wake them up if they happen to fall asleep. It's going to be okay.

katykatykaty · February 2014

FarmBoysWife said:

I'm not going to add anything but I just want to point out, a lot of us complain about "mil/my mom says she did so and so with her kids and they turned out fine so she is fighti me with x, y, z" @babycaps has proven to be a valuable resource to me even as a STM and as a STM I have to look at the knowledge she has and sometimes say "I guess I was wrong" much like my mother/mil has to when I being evidence to them. This is not the first time she has posted about this type of danger. It pains me to see a lot of heming and hawing that "so and so's baby only slept in their car seats for x-months and they were fine." I just want to remind you all there is always more than one way to skin a cat. Some of the statements here are dangerously close to that of our children's grandparents "it worked for x, so the new recommendation must be wrong" It may not be anyone's intent but just something to think about

I'm pretty sure she would also recommend against bed sharing.

NortyLeigh · February 2014

Andreabills said:
@babycaps, I knew about the rear facing thing, I guess I just assumed that most kids outgrow their infant seats and graduate to a convertible seat by 15 months. Thanks for the link!

My son was in a convertible seat by 8 months old because he is super long and had outgrown the height requirements for the infant seat. Most of my friends with one year olds now have them in convertible seats. The rear facing until 2 if for convertible seats, not infant seats, though obv. infant seats are to be rear facing as well.

katykatykaty · February 2014

@farmboyswife I wasn't trying to mom-guilt you at all... I was trying to make the opposite point that the recommendations are there for a reason, but sometimes you can't follow all of them exactly, and that doesn't make you a bad parent.

lalaith50 · February 2014

babycaps said:

@Snow527, install a backseat mirror so you can see your babe from your rearview mirror and like @vineyardmel said, stop every couple of hours and check on your baby, give your baby a 5 minute break

I heard recently (maybe here? maybe elsewhere?) that it's actually not recommended to have a backseat mirror, as it can become unattached during an accident and become a flying (dangerous) object? Sigh. You just can't win...

katykatykaty · February 2014

lalaith50 said:

babycaps said:

@Snow527, install a backseat mirror so you can see your babe from your rearview mirror and like @vineyardmel said, stop every couple of hours and check on your baby, give your baby a 5 minute break

I heard recently (maybe here? maybe elsewhere?) that it's actually not recommended to have a backseat mirror, as it can become unattached during an accident and become a flying (dangerous) object? Sigh. You just can't win...

Yep, and people also say it could cause accidents because the driver spends too much time looking at baby.

We used one and will use it again for this baby.

KariB509 · February 2014

Can I just say that I really enjoy this thread, as it's a good, informative discussion?

BrideNamedMeg · February 2014

We used a mirror as well, no way I wouldn't. They have to be RFing for so long, I need to be able to see what's going on without stopping the car. The projectile risk is so small...I just can't get worked up over it.

[Deleted User] · February 2014

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VineyardMel · February 2014

The biggest thing with projectiles that I think a lot of people overlook is with an SUV. It's so important to have the cargo cover pulled--otherwise anything that you've got back there can fly around in an accident, likely towards your baby's face. It sucks because it seriously limits the amount of stuff most SUVs can carry safely.

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