The hidden danger: puffy coats and car seats
1/15/2024
Jaime Oswald, MD, Aspirus Family Medicine Physician
As the winter chill
sets in, parents seek the perfect balance between warmth and safety for their
little ones. Puffy coats, while a popular choice for insulation, come with an
unexpected danger when combined with car seats.
Aspirus Health, in
collaboration with insights from Jaime
Oswald, MD, Aspirus Family Medicine Physician and Safe Kids Wisconsin
(SKW), aims to guide parents and caregivers in bundling and buckling their kids
up securely during the winter months.
Puffy coats, while
they look like they are going to be really warm and keep your child safe in
that regard, put a lot of space in between your child and the car seat straps.
“If you think that
you're cinching down those car seat straps, there's actually this big gap where
the puffy coat is sitting,” says Dr. Oswald. According to Safe Kids Wisconsin
(SKW), a puffy coat adds four inches of slack to car seat harness straps, which
Dr. Oswald says, “causes a potential for your child to slide around in their
car seat in the event of a car accident, which would defeat the purpose then of
the car seat."
To ensure both
warmth and safety during cold weather, Dr. Oswald recommends alternatives to
puffy coats in car seats. Parents can opt for lighter, thinner layers such as
sweaters that don't compromise the snug fit of the car seat straps.
Additionally, hats, gloves, boots, and blankets provide warmth once the child
is securely strapped in and can be an effective substitute for bulky outerwear.
“A practical rule of
thumb to use when trying to figure out if you’re dressing your kid warm enough
for the cold weather is that they should be wearing what you’re wearing, plus a
layer,” shares Dr. Oswald. She suggests that parents dress their children in a
manner similar to themselves, plus an additional layer. For instance, if a
parent is wearing a jacket, the child can wear a jacket and a hat. This ensures
that the child stays warm without compromising their safety in the car seat.
Aspirus Health
recommends SKW's simple coat check to ensure the security of the car seat.
After strapping the child into the car seat with the coat on, parents can
remove the child without adjusting the straps, take off the coat, and place the
child back in the seat. Dr. Oswald says, “If the straps still fit snugly, the
layer is safe. But if the straps become significantly looser, the layer is too
thick and poses a risk.”
By adopting
alternative clothing options and following safety measures, parents can ensure
their little ones are snugly secured, protected from both the cold weather and
the unexpected dangers of puffy coats in car seats. For more information on
passenger safety, visit www.aspirus.org/passenger-safety.
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