Infant Car seats with 4 lb lower limits...question.

cookie123

New member
Are there any that don't fit a newborn/preemie these days? Could one say - any of the ones that have a 4 lb limit would likely fit?

I was asked to check the seat of a baby being discharged the other day. Baby was slightly under 4 lbs, maybe an ounce or two, iirc. The Snugride 40 was a tiny bit loose but tightened as much as it could. Also, the shoulder straps were on the edges of the shoulders and seemed to be falling off. You would look at it and try to slide them closer. The baby just had no shoulders to speak of! Would something else fit better in the same circumstances?
 
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katymyers

Active member
I work in a NICU and IME the seats that work the best are the Safety 1st Onboard 35 seats and the Comfy Carry, Evenflo Embrace, Chicco Keyfit, and Graco Snugride 30 (Classic connect). My own baby came home weighing 4 lbs 8 oz in a Britax B Safe which I felt worked pretty well, the straps were well below her shoulders, harness was tight, and the crotch buckle was in a good spot for her but the chest clip seems a little big and if I'm not careful when tightening the straps they seem to just come down to far on het shoulders but I love the seat and I love how she fits in it.
 

cookie123

New member
I'll read that over again. Thanks.

I just want to be able to say to a parent "any of the seats with a lower weight limit of 4 lbs" you know? It's just easier. Or any seat except - and then name one or two.

And some seats sold with travel systems sometimes don't have the name of the seat apparent on them. Our approved list that is put out by our hospital is so outdated it's ridiculous. And they sell the Starter and a rear adjust Embrace (not the 35) in our gift shop, which are both on there.
 

nannykates

New member
I've personally extapolated that seats with no rethread harnesses don't fit low birthweight babies as well as the rethread kind. (I think it probably much easier to cut low close together holes than to make wings adjust in width and go super low.
 

MotoMommaNH

New member
I've personally extapolated that seats with no rethread harnesses don't fit low birthweight babies as well as the rethread kind. (I think it probably much easier to cut low close together holes than to make wings adjust in width and go super low.

oh that makes really good sense...I never thought of it that way.
 

Kecia

Admin - CPST Instructor
The 4 lbs. minimum or "birth" rated seats that I would stay away from recommending (based strictly on fit with the HI preemie doll) would be the Combi Shuttle 33/35, Combi Navette (institutional seat) and the Cybex Aton. The lowest slots on the SnugRide 30 Classic Connect are about 7" so that one doesn't fit the preemie doll either but at least you can get the crotch strap close enough to the body that slumping isn't an issue the way it is with the other seats.

I feel comfortable recommending any of the CRs on our seats for preemies list. We do realize that the HI preemie doll isn't a great representation of an actual premature baby (the doll doesn't even have shoulders!), but it's all we have to work with for now, and we know some seats really do fit that little preemie doll very well - so that has been our benchmark in assessing preemie fit.
 
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nannykates

New member
So I measured the snugride cc40 has a lowest harness setting of approx. 7.5" with the insert and the straps are 3" apart. The cc35 is 6.5" and 2.5" wide. The cc30 actually measured 6" (but this may have been a me issue).
Had to prove my theory!
 

cookie123

New member
So I measured the snugride cc40 has a lowest harness setting of approx. 7.5" with the insert and the straps are 3" apart. The cc35 is 6.5" and 2.5" wide. The cc30 actually measured 6" (but this may have been a me issue).
Had to prove my theory!

Is the Click Connect 30 different from the Classic Connect 30? Why do we have to have all these different seats with the same names again?
The baby was really packed into the SR 40, I have to say. Snug fit everywhere. The harness was actually slightly below his shoulders.
 

MotoMommaNH

New member
And to make it even more confusing, there's a click connect 35 LX which gives you a no rethread harness vs the non LX version that is regular re thread!!

Ahh!
 

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