At What Age Can a Baby Sit in a Child Safety Seat?
2 Answers
Babies can sit in a child safety seat at six months old. Sitting in a safety seat before six months may affect the baby's bone development. If the baby cannot sit up yet, a reclining safety seat can be chosen. The selection should be based on the baby's age and physical development. A safety seat is specifically designed for children of different weights, installed in a car to effectively improve child passenger safety. In the event of a car collision or sudden deceleration, it can reduce the impact force on the child and limit their body movement, thereby minimizing injury. For children, airbags are also unsafe as they are designed for adults. Airbags complete the inflation process in the event of a crash, which happens very violently—within milliseconds, a nearly 100-liter airbag is fully inflated using explosive gas. An inflating airbag can hit a child with enough force to cause serious injury.
We started using a rear-facing car seat right after our child was born. Experts say newborns can ride in them from day one because their bones are fragile, and rear-facing seats better distribute crash forces. Safety records show this reduces the risk of head injuries by 75%. On the day we brought him home from the hospital, we installed a dedicated infant seat and used it rear-facing until he turned three before switching to forward-facing. I always checked the angle and stability during installation to prevent wobbling. Extending rear-facing use is crucial—many parents think switching earlier is fine, but the real transition point is when the child reaches 9-10 kg in weight. I remind friends not to hold babies in their arms while driving, as crash forces are too severe—car seats are lifesavers. Regularly maintain the seat straps, ensuring they’re neither too loose nor twisted.