Child Car Seat Safety

There is nothing more thrilling than taking your baby home from the hospital for the very first time. Here are some tips to ensure your baby is transported home safely.

  • Be sure the car seat handle is not in the upright position
  • Consider visiting a child passenger safety seat inspection location near you (find one www.seatcheck.org) to ensure your car seat is properly installed before your baby is born
  • Do not have the baby swaddled while in the car seat
  • Keep in mind that when leaving the hospital, all Sharp HealthCare staff are not allowed to help with the placement of the car seat, including installation and placing newborns in car seats (however, nurses are required by law to ensure that the baby is going home in a car seat)
  • Perform a pinch strap test: If you can pinch a fold in the harness above the chest plate, it's too loose; a properly tightened harness will fit snugly against a child's body
  • The chest plate portion of the car seat should be at the child's nipple line
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children in rear-facing car seats until age two or until they have reached height and weight maximums set by the car seat manufacturer
  • The middle of the backseat is the safest position for the car seat to be located

We hope you find this website helpful, but please remember that Sharp HealthCare does not control or endorse the information presented on this website, nor does this site endorse the information found on www.sharp.com.

For More Information
To learn more about Sharp's pregnancy and childbirth services or to find a Sharp-affiliated doctor, search for a San Diego OBGYN or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find general information about pregnancy and childbirth, visit Pregnancy and Childbirth in Adult Health or read the Pregnancy and Childbirth News archive.