How to transport a baby in a car

A child in the first year of life has a very flaccid skeletal system and weak undeveloped muscles. The musculoskeletal system is not able to keep the body in an upright position for a long time. The body structure is dominated by the size and weight of the head. Transporting an infant requires the use of special car seats. Seats of the best quality and functionality are shell constructions, made of stiffened plastics (in a manner similar to the design of boat hulls), aluminum composites or metal bar frame (aluminium, stood) embedded in epoxy resins. The shell of such a seat is similar in shape to half a walnut shell, inside is carpeted – sponge covered with cotton or velor fabric. The shell is mounted to the base and its angle of inclination can be changed, the child takes a lying to half-sitting position. The base is used to attach the seat to the car seat. The attachment can use the standard car seat belts, special set of handles or ISOFIX system.
The size of the shell must be chosen in such a way, so that the whole child hides in it. The safety action of the seat will be correct, when the toddler is "attached" to him. For the youngest children, a kind of "vest" is used, covering the entire torso, fastened to the shell with straps passing over the shoulders, from the sides of the trunk and between the legs. This method of immobilization ensures an even distribution of forces on the skeletal system, does not tire, allows you to move your arms and legs freely. The infant car seat should be placed in the car in the front or back seat, always facing away from the direction of travel. Only such a positioning can ensure safety in the event of a collision or during sudden braking. The weight of the infant's head in relation to the weight of the rest of the body is so large, and the muscles of the neck and neck are so weak, that even with stronger braking or fast cornering, the impact of inertial forces may cause injuries to the cervical part of the spine. That is why the use of appropriate security measures is so important. If there is a frontal collision, frontal with displacement, frontolateral or even lateral, the inertia force released at this point will push the child violently into the seat shell. Because it is the whole body (also a heavy head) propped against the shell, the action of the inertia force will not cause the spine to bend and injure it. There will also be no head wounds, and the possibility of concussion will be greatly reduced – the head constantly supported by the structure of the seat during the collision will not hit it. Mounting such a seat on the front seat, next to the driver gives good contact of the mother or father with the child, you can react quickly to a change in his behavior. This is particularly important, when the driver drives alone with the child.
In many cars there is a passenger airbag switch, which blocks its operation and allows the seat to be placed in the front seat next to the driver. The action of the second pillow, when there is a child seat on the front seat, may, during a collision, lead to the seat being thrown out of the attachment or damage to its structure, and this, in turn, can expose the child to a very serious danger. Despite the switch in the car's safety system, Polish regulations do not allow the seat to be placed in the front seat, if the vehicle is equipped with a second cushion. The fact of mounting the pillow, and not its way of working determines the place of setting the seat. In this case, it remains to mount the seat on the rear seat. It must not be placed in the middle. In the event of a collision or damage to the mounting, the child safety seat will immediately move forward and hit the center console or cut into the windshield. The positioning on the extreme places allows to use the backrests of the front seats in such situations as a barrier limiting the uncontrolled movement of the seat.