Why do companies sell stuff to be used with car seats when it's not safe to do so?
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at
9:30 am
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Tagged with: blankets • car seat • cold weather • crash • google • Infant Car Seats • infant snowsuits • parents • positioner • positioners • safety researchers • script type • text javascript • weather climate
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Your right it should be illegal to sell items that are not safe, but many things that are not recommended for babies are still sold (like crib bumpers). I think most parents don’t realize that those items shouldn’t be used in the carseats because they don’t read the instruction manuals that come with the carseat.
rainwriterm makes a good point about the carseat toys that hang down too, it says in the manuel of my carseat to always put the handle down when in the car, but I see people driving around with the handle up all the time so the baby can look at the toy.
Its unfortunate that people assume that everything sold for a baby must be safe or else they wouldn’t sell it.
Because people are stupid and MANY MANY people never pick up a book about raising a child….EVER.
so they can make money
some people dont pay attention to things like that…
"So many parents assume that because it’s sold and the package says it’s safe, then it must be."
Infant formula, baby cereals and foods marketed to babies younger than six months, infant DVDs… A quick stroll through any ‘Babies R Us’ or similar junk-emporium makes it clear that the people who sell this stuff are not selling it to do babies a favour.
most of the stuff you mention is meant to be used in cold weather if you live in a cold area do you not put on a snow suit on your child b/c he is in the car seat.
and what about travel system strollers with the car seat built in? when you take your baby for a walk in the winter or out to an appointment with out them being properly dressed for the season?
these product are winter products
no? I have a car seat cover and an infant head positioner and strap covers and I’ve never had a problem. the head positioner came with my graco car seat. what’s the risk? suffocation/asphyxiation? then baby blankets in general shouldn’t be sold. there’s risks with everything. I’m a lot more worried about other things…
eta: dyot has got it.
eta: wait, so why are those things bad?
I use a cover in my car seat that goes under my child, and on top of him. It is a peice of material, it is like wearing an extra layer, are we supposed to put them in there naked? What did they do years ago? They didn’t even have cat seats! Nothing is "safe" these days. It is up to you to use your own descretion. It is -10 and windy as hell outside. I am not going to put a blanket over my son so it can get blown off and he freezes on the way into the store. That is my opinion… Oh and the item I am talking about came with a letter outlining all the crash tests they have done, and it makes no difference.
In addition to your product complaints, I struggle a lot with the toys that are made to hang down from the bar of an infant carrier. Those bars are almost always supposed to be lowered when in the car, yet I see tons of parents leave them up with a bunch of toys hanging down over the baby.
But, selling them makes money, and parents love all of the new gadgets for their babies. I suppose they could argue that they are providing products for use in the infant seats when they are used as carriers and not car seats, but I still don’t really understand.