How tall for booster seat kids

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Here's why it happens, what you can do, and when to contact your…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M. Car seat stages Uses Booster types How to use Safety tips Takeaway We include products we think are useful for our readers. The three stages of car seats. Forward-facing car seat Use a forward-facing car seat until at least age 4, and until your child reaches the height or weight limit of their seat.

Why are booster seats important? Types of booster seats. High-back booster seat High-back booster seats are appropriate for cars with low seat backs or no headrests. Pro: You can get this kind of booster in a combination seat. This means you can use the seat longer without replacing it.

Backless booster seat Backless booster seats are appropriate for cars with headrests and higher seat backs. Pro: These seats are usually cheaper and easier to move between cars. Kids may also prefer them because they look less like a baby car seat. How to use a booster seat. Have your child sit on the booster seat. Never use a booster seat if a car only has a lap belt. Children must use both a lap belt and a shoulder belt. Never use a booster seat in the front seat because a child who still fits the requirements for a booster is too small to be in the front.

You can try placing a tightly rolled receiving blanket on both sides of your child. Many manufacturers allow the use of a tightly rolled small diaper or cloth between the crotch strap and your child, if necessary, to prevent slouching. Do not place padding under or behind your child or use any sort of car safety seat insert unless it came with the seat or was made by the manufacturer for use with that specific seat.

Why should I dress my child in thinner layers of clothing before strapping him or her into a car safety seat? Bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, can compress in a crash and leave the straps too loose to restrain your child, leading to increased risk of injury.

Ideally, dress your baby in thinner layers and wrap a coat or blanket around your baby over the buckled harness straps if needed. Do preemies need a special car seat? These include all-in-one seats. Combination seats with harness: Seats can be used forward facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds depending on the model or without the harness as a booster up to — pounds, depending on the model. Integrated seats: Some vehicles come with built-in forward-facing seats.

Weight and height limits vary. Do not use a built-in seat until your child has reached the highest weight or height allowed for your rear-facing convertible car safety seat. Travel vests: Vests can be worn by children 22 to pounds and can be an option to traditional forward- facing seats. They are useful for when a vehicle has lap-only seat belts in the rear, for children with certain special needs, or for children whose weight has exceeded that allowed by car safety seats.

These vests usually require use of a top tether. Installation tips for forward-facing seats Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat.

To switch a convertible or all-in-one seat from rear-facing to forward-facing: Move the harness shoulder straps to the slots or position that is at or just above your child's shoulders.

Check the instructions that came with the seat to be sure you are positioning the shoulder straps correctly. You may have to adjust the recline angle of the seat so that it sits more upright in your vehicle. Check the instructions to be sure. If using a seat belt, make sure it runs through the forward-facing belt path be sure to follow car safety seat instructions and that the seat belt is locked and tightened.

Many car safety seats have an integrated lock-off to keep the seat belt locked. If using the lower anchors, make sure that the weight of your child plus the weight of the seat does not exceed 65 pounds. Most seats now state in the manual and on the stickers on the side the maximum child weight to use the anchors. If the child weighs too much, caregivers must use the seat belt to install.

Always use the tether when you can. A tether is a strap that is attached to the top part of a car safety seat and holds the seat tightly by connecting to an anchor point in your vehicle often on the seat back or rear shelf; see your vehicle owner's manual to find where tether anchors are in your vehicle.

Tethers give important extra protection by keeping the car safety seat and your child's head from moving too far forward in a crash or sudden stop. All new cars, minivans, and light trucks are required to have tether anchors as of September Forward-facing seats come with tether straps.

A tether should always be used as long as your child has not reached the top weight limit for the tether anchor. If absolutely necessary, a child in a forward-facing seat with a harness may be the best choice to ride in front. Just be sure the vehicle seat is moved as far back away from the dashboard and airbag as possible. As a general guideline, a child has outgrown a forward-facing seat when any of the following situations is true: He reaches the top weight or height allowed for his seat with a harness.

These limits are listed on the seat and in the instruction manual. His shoulders are above the top harness slots. Types of booster seats High-back and backless are 2 standard types of booster seats. Watch the video: How to Use a Booster Seat If your booster seat has lower anchors or tether attachments, check its manual for installation instructions.

What is the difference between high-back boosters and backless boosters? High-back boosters should be used in vehicles without headrests or with low seat backs. Many seats that look like high-back boosters are actually combination seats.

They come with harnesses that can be used for smaller children and, later, removed for older children. Backless boosters are usually less expensive and are easier to move from one vehicle to another.

Backless boosters can be used safely in vehicles with headrests and high seat backs. The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly. Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her knees bent over the edge of the seat without slouching and can comfortably stay in this position throughout the trip. This leaves the upper body unprotected and adds extra slack to the seat belt system, putting your child at risk of severe injury in a crash or with sudden braking.

All passengers must have their own car safety seats or seat belts. Common question I've seen products that say they can help make the seat belt fit better.

Should we get one of these? No, these products are unapproved and should not be used. They may actually interfere with proper seat belt fit by causing the lap belt to ride too high on the stomach or making the shoulder belt too loose. They can even damage the seat belt.

This rule applies to car safety seats too; do not use extra products unless they came with the seat or are specifically approved by the seat manufacturer. These products are not covered by any federal safety standards, and the AAP does not recommend they be used. As long as children are riding in the correct restraint for their size, they should not need to use additional devices.

A higher price does not mean the seat is safer or easier to use. Look on the label for the date the seat was made. Check with the manufacturer to find out how long it recommends using the seat.

Has any visible cracks on it. Does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check to see if the seat has been recalled.

Does not come with instructions. You need them to know how to use the seat. Instructions can be found on manufacturer websites or by contacting the manufacturer. Is missing parts. Used car safety seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.

Was recalled. Do not use seats that have been in a moderate or severe crash. Seats that were in a minor crash may still be safe to use, but some car safety seat manufacturers recommend replacing the seat after any crash, even a minor one.

The NHTSA considers a crash minor if all the following situations are true: The vehicle could be driven away from the crash. The vehicle door closest to the car safety seat was not damaged. No one in the vehicle was injured. The airbags did not go off. You can't see any damage to the car safety seat. If you have specific questions about the car seat, contact the manufacturer. About carpooling If your child is being driven by someone else, make sure: The car safety seat your child will be using fits properly in the vehicle used for transport.

The car safety seat being used is appropriate for the age and size of your child. The person in charge of transporting your child knows how to install and use the car safety seat correctly. In some states, school bus drivers need to have a special type of license. Staff to child ratios for transport should meet or exceed those required for the classroom.

Every child should be supervised during transport, either by school staff or a parent volunteer, so the driver can focus on driving. School staff, teachers, and drivers should know what to do in an emergency, know how to properly use car safety seats and seat belts, and be aware of other safety requirements.

About car safety seats on airplanes The Federal Aviation Administration FAA and the AAP recommend that children less than 40 pounds be securely fastened in certified child restraints when flying. If you need installation help If you have questions or need help with installing your car safety seat, find a certified child passenger safety technician CPST or CPS technician.

Check with relevant regulatory bodies for specific car seat safety laws in your state. What about when in a rideshare service like Uber? In all Australian states and territories except New South Wales, children can travel in a taxi without a child restraint.

Babies aged under 12 months must travel in the backseat, be held by an adult, but not share the seatbelt. Children aged one to seven years must sit in the backseat and should use a seatbelt. In New South Wales, children under 12 months must use a child restraint in a taxi. In Victoria, children should be restrained properly when using rideshare services — legally, the rules that apply to private vehicles also apply to rideshare vehicles. The RCH recommends that all children be appropriately restrained in a suitable car restraint appropriate for their height whenever travelling in a vehicle.

This may mean that you need to take your own car seat with you when travelling and know how to install it appropriately into another vehicle — although this may seem impractical and involve more planning, it is the safest option for your child. We acknowledge the input of RCH consumers and carers.

To donate, visit www. This information is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your doctor or healthcare professionals. The authors of these consumer health information handouts have made a considerable effort to ensure the information is accurate, up to date and easy to understand. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies, information perceived as misleading, or the success of any treatment regimen detailed in these handouts.

Information contained in the handouts is updated regularly and therefore you should always check you are referring to the most recent version of the handout.

The onus is on you, the user, to ensure that you have downloaded the most up-to-date version of a consumer health information handout. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Safety: Child car seats. Safety: Child car seats In Australia, car and other transport crashes are the single biggest cause of death of children under 15 years of age.

Which car restraint is best for my child? Restraints should be regularly checked and adjusted as your child grows. Make sure your child is buckled in properly, using the correct seat-belt or harness type for their size, even if it is only a short trip. When to change restraints Moving your child too early to the next restraint type increases their risk of serious injury or death in the event of a car crash.

Moving to a forward-facing restraint Babies are safest in a rear-facing restraint, and would only be expected to outgrow these restraints when they are two to three years old. Age Australian laws RCH recommendation Under 6 months Rear-facing only Rear-facing only Six months to four years Rear- or forward-facing with harness Rear-facing for a long as possible. Age Australian laws RCH recommendation Four to seven years Forward-facing with inbuilt harness or booster seat Forward-facing with inbuilt harness for as long as possible.