reasons not to use a 3 point infant seat?

[turtlemama]

I'm trying to make a post on facebook on why not to use a 3 point infant seat, but all I know is that they are likely expired. So I need safety benefits on 3 point vs 5 point. I'm posting because my brothers ex has her baby in a 3 point.

 

[Patriot201]

~~ A small baby (and possibly even a "big" baby) can shift "out of position" and can slip around the harness.

~~ The crotch strap/buckle on a 3 pt. harness can be pretty far out, which can cause the baby to slouch a lot. It can also make it difficult to tighten the harness correctly.

~~ Like you said, 3 points in this country are likely either expired or are foreign seats.



In *some* special cases, a 3-point harness might be okay. I think of jubjulia's DS, who has OI. For him, the 3-point is a good choice. For most kids, it is not.

 

[wendytthomas]

They're not all expired. I had a 2007 for Laine (I did NOT use it in the car. It was a recalled Evenflo Discovery with an unknown history. I used it since I didn't use a stroller or infant seat, and I needed someplace to put her while I did carseat checks. It lived in my trunk).

There is SO much space on the sides of the baby that they can be thrown out of the side. An older infant who is wiggly can get out of them. And the crotch strap is so far away from the baby that it's nearly impossible to get the harness tight.

Wendy

 

[BookMama]

Where's that picture (video?) Defrost has of one of her kids escaping a 3-pt harness?

 

[Patriot201]

I was thinking of that same picture when I wrote (and some "big" babies). I think it was Sam?

 

[Patriot201]

Found it!

http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=1473474&postcount=114

 

[turtlemama]

What about a 3 year old in a 3 point convertible, a guy asked me.

 

[Patriot201]

This thread has lots of pictures of babies in 3-point infant seats. Granted, most of these are quite "old" (by carseat standards), so technology has changed, but they will still give you some visuals to spark other thoughts.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=146032&highlight=harness+escape&page=2

 

[BookMama]

Where's that picture (video?) Defrost has of one of her kids escaping a 3-pt harness?

 

[Patriot201]

What about a 3 year old in a 3 point convertible, a guy asked me.

Not good. Although they might be better with an older child than with a baby.

The only 3-point convertibles in the US were either T-shield seats (which I am 99% sure are all expired by now) or overhead shield seats.

Shield seats had a few problems. (1) The shield is designed to be part of the restraint. In other words, the child's head, face, or chest are supposed to slam into the shield in an accident. (2) The design of the harness through the shield made it difficult to tighten the harness correctly. (3) Because there were no hip straps (the shield was designed to take the place of them), the child could still "shift" out of place in the seat, possibly causing some issues in an accident.

 

[turtlemama]

Do they make 3 point harness convertibles?

 

[Patriot201]

I haven't seen any in a few years, but that doesn't mean that they aren't still out there. Tray-shield seats are not all expired and are definitely still floating around.

I am not sure, though, about if they are still being manufactured or not. I don't *think* they are (in this country), but I could definitely be wrong.

 

[turtlemama]

So it would be a shield convertible then?

 

[turtlemama]

Sorry, I phrased it wrong. I mean't are there 3 point convertibles out there? He said his has a year left on it.

ETA: nevermind, the pic he said he thought it was had a 5 point harness. He just thought it was a 3 point.

 

[Patriot201]

Most likely. There are still a few T-shields out there, so it could be a T-shield, but is most likely a tray shield. Not all tray shields are expired.

 

[monica-m]

Weren't all the t-shields recalled? They would all be expired by now anyway. Overhead shield seats were made as recently as 2007 I believe. The child is going to hit that shield at the speed that the car was traveling so it's not a good idea to use one even though they are not expired.

 

[BookMama]

Weren't all the t-shields recalled? They would all be expired by now anyway. Overhead shield seats were made as recently as 2007 I believe.

The Scenera overhead shield was made until at least 2009.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

 

[monica-m]

The Scenera overhead shield was made until at least 2009.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

:thumbsdown:

 

[Patriot201]

They would all be expired by now anyway.
Overhead shield seats were made as recently as 2007 I believe. The child is going to hit that shield at the speed that the car was traveling so it's not a good idea to use one even though they are not expired.

Yeah, I wrote in post 10 that I was 99% sure that T-shields were all expired by now. Thanks for reassuring that they are in fact all expired by now.

 

[finn]

I know its not really pertinent & doesn't help you at all but a lot of European capsules are 3 points and thats all lol (they are quite different from your 3 points however)