A group of Australian parents have warned mothers and fathers not to strap their young children in a car seat with thick winter coats during the colder months.
Little Hearts Education Founder, former paramedic and mother Nikki Jurcutz said that fluffy or thick coats can create gaps between baby and seat belt and increase the risk of injury in an accident.
The Queensland mother explained how to check if your child’s winter heaters are safe to use in the car and suggested other ways to keep them comfortable on the road.
Tiny Hearts Education warned parents not to put their babies in car seats with thick coats during the winter months.
“Thick jackets often trap air between the layers and fluff of the jacket, so in the event of an accident the jacket will get stuck, which creates a lot of space between the bubble and the car seat straps,” explains Nikki in a note. then to the popular Tiny Heart Facebook page.
“Because of this space, they may not be properly secured to the car seat, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an accident.”
To check if a jacket is too thick to be worn in a car seat, Nikki told her to put the baby in the jacket with the jacket and pull the straps tight as usual, reminding her to take the compression test. .
Tighten the belt over your shoulder and if you can’t keep the belt between your thumb and finger, the belt is tight enough.
Former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz said you need to tighten, remove, reattach your baby’s thick coat, and if the straps are loose, the jacket is not safe.
“So, get Bub out of the car seat without unbuckling the seat belt, then put Bub back in the car seat,” Nikki said.
“Don’t put the jacket on the car seat if you have to zip it up.”
For all the parents worried about their baby shivering in the car without a jacket, Nikki has some tips for keeping them warm.
He said you can warm up the car before driving, dress the baby in long sleeves, use socks and tank tops for extra layers, and put a blanket on the outside of the seat.
“For older kids, try putting them in the car seat first and then zipping the jacket over the arms, over the arms on the outside of the seat straps,” she wrote.
Tiny Hearts Education has previously issued a winter warning to parents about the dangers of thermal clothing, hot water bags and electric blankets.
Later on their popular Instagram page, they explained that hot water bottles and cereal sacks are not recommended for minors as they are more prone to burns, while electric blankets should only be used to warm a bed and should be turned off first. sleep.
“There is a risk of burns on sensitive skin when using heat packs, so they should not be used on minors,” the message states.
“Also, using grain sacks in bedding is not recommended, as bedding can trap heat and cause the heat pack to ignite, which can happen if it overheats.”
If parents use a heat pack or hot water bag for themselves, they should be careful to avoid overheating or overfilling, pay attention to the skin, and leave a layer between the sensitive skin and the bag.
For hot water bottles, users should always check the expiration date, never use boiling water, only hot water, as old bottles are more likely to break and leak, and discard if showing signs of wear.
Tiny Hearts says she needs to “move the hot water bottle every 20 minutes to avoid gradual burns in an area” and “purge any excess air before turning it off.”
A post on their popular Instagram page explained that hot water bottles and sacks of cereal are not recommended for toddlers as they are more prone to burns.
While sources say babies shouldn’t use electric blankets, the Tiny Hearts team says you should only use one to warm the bed and always turn it off before bed.
Sources argue that electric blankets shouldn’t be used on babies, while others say they’re safe, but the Tiny Hearts team says you should only use one to warm the mattress and always turn it off before bed. .
“If you’re using an electric blanket, inspect it thoroughly before using it, discard it at the first sign of damage, and avoid rolling it or tucking it under while it’s still on,” the post says.
Instead, the parent group listed a number of workarounds to keep babies warm on cold winter nights, including undershirts, overalls, and sleeping bags, like putting them to bed with dry hair and cuddling them before bed.
When the weather is freezing, parents can heat the room with a stove before bed and opt for sleeping bags with a good “overall temperature” or TOG, a measure of the temperature of the bag.
Dozens of parents have filled the comment section with valuable comments and tips to help babies sleep well in winter.
Merino socks, too. And before they go to bed, you can pre-warm the mattress with a sack of wheat or a hot water bottle and then remove them when you lay them down,” one mom suggested.
“After I saw my mom’s excellent electric blanket caught fire, I will never use it again. Buy only 3.5 togs and a thick pajamas – the guys are great, ”wrote another.
“We used a sack of wheat to warm the bed and took it out while we put our son to bed. My husband knew of a family whose house was on fire because a sack of wheat caught fire,” the third warned.
Source: Daily Mail
