Chest clip for older kids

[Brianna]

J's mom has been posting car seat pictures to her facebook, and armpit level FF seems too high, but it didn't RF. Nipple level looks better to me, armpit level squeezes the straps around his neck.

 

[joolsplus3]

Has anyone ever found data describing chest clip injury? It's one thing to assume that a low clip will hurt the guts, but does it happen in real life? Seems to me most of the force is going to be on the shoulders, and putting hundreds of pounds of force onto a strap makes it as hard or harder than a piece of plastic that's down low where the forces are less. I suppose I could google, but if anyone has a link handy, I'd love to see it.

 

[aeormsby]

Quinn likes his lower and I'm fine with it. He puts it just below his nipples, still on his ribcage. The Radian chest clip just irritates his neck too much when it's an inch or two higher in the perfect spot.

I think the difference is that a bigger kid has about 4" of space considered correct and littles need that clip spot on, KWIM?

:yeahthat: to the bolded part. I think that's the main difference with bigger kids, there's just so much more strap visible because they're taller and it doesn't have to be 1" below their chin to be in an acceptable location.

 

[aetj115]

I've had problems with my 4 year old since I moved him to a Radian 80sl ff. He always complains its too high and says its choking him. I thought it was just his pdd that made it bother him. I've been letting him have it a little lower. Like this.

 

[Brigala]

I'm not concerned with the placement in any of the pictures that have been posted. They all seem to be in the "nipple level" range. There's definitely a bigger target to hit when you're talking about an older kid vs. a younger kid.

And looking at this picture posted by AETJ115, if that clip were any higher I'd say it was too high.

 

[featherhead]

I'm not concerned with the placement in any of the pictures that have been posted. They all seem to be in the "nipple level" range. There's definitely a bigger target to hit when you're talking about an older kid vs. a younger kid.

And looking at this picture posted by AETJ115, if that clip were any higher I'd say it was too high.

I was thinking the same thing. It looks to be above armpit level.

 

[mommyfrog]

Me too!!

I don't pay too much attention to where my older kids have their chest clips. They know it belongs on their chest and put it there somewhere on their chest that doesn't bug them. A couple of weeks ago my oldest dd had a friend over who has two younger sisters, one of which just moved to a booster. She said she would buckle my youngest into his seat for me when we were leaving. I don't loosen the straps so I knew they were already tight enough and let her. I heard my ds say "That goes up on my boobies, silly, not my tummy." So I guess I've trained my kids well!!

 

[mominabigtruck]

Has anyone ever found data describing chest clip injury? It's one thing to assume that a low clip will hurt the guts, but does it happen in real life? Seems to me most of the force is going to be on the shoulders, and putting hundreds of pounds of force onto a strap makes it as hard or harder than a piece of plastic that's down low where the forces are less. I suppose I could google, but if anyone has a link handy, I'd love to see it.

This is what I wonder because isn't the clip supposed to break open during a crash?

I've used european seats without a chest clip so for me the chest clip just isn't something to obssess about. Their harnesses are different but I can't imagine that they're different enough that seats over there perform completely different without a chest clip.

Now I think I've just confused myself with what I'm trying to say.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[aetj115]

I'm not concerned with the placement in any of the pictures that have been posted. They all seem to be in the "nipple level" range. There's definitely a bigger target to hit when you're talking about an older kid vs. a younger kid.

And looking at this picture posted by AETJ115, if that clip were any higher I'd say it was too high.

Thank you. Maybe I am choking him LOL!!

 

[jess71903]

This is a bad picture. This is where the clip ends up a lot. It's not that low imo.

And if its here where I like to see it she cries that the straps are too tight and she can't breathe.

See, I think your "how I like to see it" pic is too high, and the way she likes it looks more right to me. That's how Gage's generally is and where I think his nipples probably really are.

 

[An Aurora]

My kids know to put it "on the boobies." I don't let it go any lower because the chest clip being over the xiphoid scares me, because of the risk of liver laceration. It's likely completely unfounded, but I'm not going to risk it anyway.

 

[safeinthecar]

Has anyone ever found data describing chest clip injury? It's one thing to assume that a low clip will hurt the guts, but does it happen in real life? Seems to me most of the force is going to be on the shoulders, and putting hundreds of pounds of force onto a strap makes it as hard or harder than a piece of plastic that's down low where the forces are less. I suppose I could google, but if anyone has a link handy, I'd love to see it.

I know of one (anecdotal) case where a 3yo little boy with a belly clip had a slight laceration on his intestine. The little boy was my mom's coworker's grandson and I had done a car seat check for her when the boy was a newborn.

 

[Pixels]

I highly doubt that a child is going to sustain anything more than perhaps a slight bruise from a chest clip, whether it is properly positioned or not. The chest clip doesn't get pushed into the body by anything. The harness holds the child back, and it is taut while it is doing that. It would take something else to push in on the chest (or belly) clip and overcome the tautness of the harness in order to cause an injury.

Do I always properly position my own kids' chest clips? Absolutely. If it's a belly clip, it can't do its job of properly positioning the harness pre-crash. In the real world, most kids I see with belly clips have other misuses as well (loose harness, harness not in the right slots) that, combined, make for a high risk of ejection. I do emphasize that it is a CHEST clip and goes on the chest when I'm doing seat checks, because I figure that if they at least get that part right, the harness will be more likely to stay over the shoulders and greatly reduce the chance of ejection even if the harness is too loose.

 

[Simplysomething]

I don't have harnessed kids anymore, but I know my youngest consistantly pushed his chest clip down. Got to the point where it wasn't a battle I felt needed to be fought. I am much more concerned with seat belt placement ---now that he is boostered full time.