> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Safety first: How to pick the perfect car seat
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/safety-first-how-to-pick-the-perfect-car-seat/
- Published: 2003-05-20T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:09:26.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Health, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Christina Pols, R.N.*

QUESTION: There are so many infant car seats available. How can I tell which one is best for my baby?

ANSWER: Not all car seats fit all cars, so it’s best to have it fitted to your car before your baby is born.

In addition, many hospitals, including Saint John’s Health Center, will not allow new mothers to take their babies home until a car seat has been installed in their vehicle. Under California law, babies must ride in a car safety seat or booster until they are at lest 6 years old or weigh 60 pounds. When selecting an infant car seat, the most important factor to consider is whether it fits your child properly, depending on size and age. Newborns generally fit best in an infant-only seat, which is certified for use up to 20-35 pounds, because the harness can be adjusted snugly.

When strapping the harness over your infant, the harness should fit tightly over the child’s shoulders with no more than two fingers of slack in the collar area. In addition, the car seat should not move more than an inch in any direction, including forward, backward and side-to-side.

The safest place for your infant is the center of the car’s rear seat facing backward. Keep babies facing the rear as long as possible, at least until they are 1 years old, to protect their neck and spine. In a head-on collision, a forward-facing baby’s neck can stretch up to two inches, while their spine can only stretch one-fourth of an inch, resulting in possible death or severe injury to the baby. Never place your infant in a front seat with an air bag.

As your baby grows, make sure there is at least one inch of space between the top of the baby’s head and the top of the safety seat. Usually babies will outgrow an infant-only seat before they are 1 years old.

For economical reasons, you may decide to purchase a convertible car seat for your infant rather than an infant-only seat. If so, you should select a convertible seat that allows the baby to sit rear-facing as long as possible. Choose a convertible seat with a five-point harness instead of a harness with an attached shield, since the shield lies in front of the face or neck and is not appropriate for an infant. In addition, a five-point harness can be adjusted to fit almost all sizes of children up to 40 pounds.

Once the child is old enough to sit facing forward, making sure the car seat is adjusted to the upright position and the shoulder straps are moved from the center to the top slots. In addition, the vehicle seat belt may need to be moved to a different part of the safety seat. Be sure to follow the seat manufacturer’s instructions when making any adjustments. (Christina Pols, R.N., is the parent education coordinator at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. For more information, call parent ducation at (310) 829-8731 or visit Saint John’s Web site at www.stjohns.org.)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 20, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052003.pdf?ref=smdp.com)