I always wondered how much truth there is to this study. I'm not one to just stick babies in a seat and leave them there, but I've been doing it with DD lately (of course, she's no longer an infant and has special circumstances) and she breathes BETTER in a car seat. That why all these special needs kids have positioning seats that recline them for feeding and stuff (and yeah they are older and bigger, but in many cases, their respiratory system is more fragile than a typical newborn's). It's better for their airway and breathing. Yeah it's bad if they flop forward and cut off their airway, but that's kind of the point of the 45 degree angle, to prevent that. I know some preemies and other kids with SN can't handle that angle, but most kids are fine at that angle. I know DD's sats drop after she goes into a deep sleep...after about 1/2 an hour or so, but that happens no matter how we position her.
I don't think parents of healthy babies need to worry about taking a 45 minute car ride, personally. SIDS can happen anywhere at any time and at any age (yes, even past infancy, it's just called something else). We're driving ourselves mad with all these studies. Every single position babies sleep in is associated with some kind of tragic death. Can we just step back and use a little common sense? Babies with severe GERD are probably better off NOT on their back, but at an angle or on their belly. Healthy babies are probably best on their back. Preemies and other kids with medical problems may do best with a side positioner or rolls. Kids like my DD are best off at a 45 degree angle. It's just common sense to me. Don't freak if your kid sleeps best in the car seat...maybe there's a reason for that. Maybe they are refluxing and the angle is preventing aspiration.
"In the new study, 200 healthy newborns spent 30 minutes in a hospital crib, 60 minutes in a car bed, and 60 minutes in a car seat. The infants had lower oxygen levels when in the car seats and car beds than when they were sleeping in hospital cribs.
Specifically, the infants had an average oxygen saturation level of 95.7 percent in a car seat, compared with 96.3 percent in a car bed, and 97.9 percent in a hospital crib."
I don't get why they didn't do 60 minutes in a crib. And someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but 95% (almost 96% actually) O2 sats are NOT considered risky right? Maybe my perspective is a little skewed because I would jump for joy if my kid could keep them that high, but if I walked into the ER with DD satting at 95, they would send us right back home. It's not a dangerous level. I don't think the ER would put oxygen on until 92-94 at least and that would be on a case-by-case basis, like if the patient were clearly struggling to breathe.
I think it's a good idea to not use the car seat as a baby-sitter, but that's for the child's emotional well-being. It's not good to plop your kid in one and keep them there 75% of their waking hours. And I don't think using it as a crib is a good idea unless you have a reason to. But this study just makes people think their kid is going to suffer brain damage from a 30 minute car ride. Believe me, it takes a hell of a lot more oxygen deprivation that that to cause a problem.