Viva Vitality: Tips for safely transporting your child in the cold of winter

By Andrea Klassen on January 24, 2020.

andrea.klassen@ahs.ca

The frigid winter months have arrived, and learning to transport your child safely in the cold weather is incredibly important. Although, our first instinct as parents is to bundle up our child when we head out, it is important to note that less in more when it comes to using your car seat.

We don’t recommend the use of bulky and thick clothing or winter coats when using your car seats. The thick material between your child and the strap system of their car seat can actually cause the straps to lay improperly on their chest or shoulders. Even if the car seat straps appear to be secured over their bulky clothing, most often the strap system is actually not tight enough to properly secure your child in the event of a collision. The fabric of their coat can compress down from the force and impact of a collision causing the straps to become loose and your child to move in their seat which can result in injury.

For young children still in infant car seats, we advise against the use of bunting bags. The bunting bag fabric lays underneath your child while the straps have to feed through the bunting bag. Having the straps feed through the fabric can cause the strap system to bind or twist and the fabric can compress causing your child to be injured if you are in a collision. These bunting bags are also not breathable which can cause your infant to overheat as they are unable to regulate their body temperature. Bunting bags also add extra bulk which can be a concern, they are not fire retardant and anything extra in the seat could catch fire in the event of a collision.

So what do we do? Dress your child in fall type clothing, lighter sweaters, hat/toque, and undershirt and place a blanket over them once they are in the vehicle if they need to be warmer. Warm up your vehicle so that it isn’t too cold for them if they are not in a heavy jacket. Thinner snowsuits that have less bulk are an acceptable alternative to bunting bags and thick snowsuits. You must ensure with any clothing that the straps are secured tightly and not just resting on top of the clothing. The straps must be readjusted each time the child is placed in the car seat. Always ensure that you tighten your child in so that the chest clip sits right at the armpit line and the straps are tight enough that you can only get one finger width underneath their collarbone.

Do your part in reducing and preventing injury by keeping your child safe not only this winter but every season.

Andrea Klassen is a Health Promotion Facilitator and Car Seat Educator with Alberta Health Services, South Zone. She can be reached by email, andrea.klassen@ahs.ca

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