Transportation home

From birth until your baby is 12 months old or reaches the maximum height and weight for his or her seat:

• Set up the car seat to be rear facing. Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a rear-facing car seat until 2 years of age or until your child reaches the highest rear-facing height or weight allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
• Secure the car seat in the back seat. Never install a car seat in the front seat.
• Recline the car seat at a 45-degree angle. If your baby’s head falls forward, the car seat may not be reclined enough.
• Thread the car seat harness straps through the seat slots at or below your baby’s shoulders.
• Set the chest clip at armpit level.
• Tighten the harness straps so there is no slack in them. If you can pinch the material together between your thumb and forefinger, it’s too loose.
• Make sure the car seat does not move more than one inch in any direction.
• To better fill empty spaces and provide support, roll up a couple of small blankets and tuck them in on each side of your baby’s shoulders and head. If your baby slumps down, put a small, rolled blanket or a burp cloth between his or her legs behind the crotch strap. (Do not put thick padding underneath or behind your baby.)
• Do not dress your baby in any clothing or coats thicker than a sweatshirt while he or she is in the car seat. During a crash, bulky material will compress, making the harness straps too loose on your child and preventing the straps from helping the child come to a gentle stop during a crash.