Hey my name is T. and I'm writing on behalf of my fiance and our newborn Audrey She is one week old and we can't figure out how to keep our newborn's head stable in the car seat. We have a graco travel system and it came with something to keep her head from swaying side to side but is not stable from falling forward. We could really use some advice on what to do...
Hi Teddy,
We had the same problem and my husband read to roll a towel up and place it under the car seat base near the seat fold area. This allows the car seat to lay more inclined for the infant and her head will not fall forward. Hope this helps! It worked for us.
Take the car to a car seat safety specialist (can find one online at nhtsa.gov). When I did that, the safety specialist actually took out a good old-fashioned pool noodle (cut to proper length) and placed it under the infant seat to help tilt it back a little more - worked like a charm.
The people who recommend the rolled up towels to wedge the baby's head in are correct. Also, please bear in mind that people rarely secure the baby in tightly enough. The straps should be so tight that you can only just fit two fingers between the strap and the baby's chest. The towels on either side of baby's head should be packed in securely, so that you can only just get your fingers between the towels and the baby's head.
I highly recommend you take a carseat class, for example at Methodist hospital. Even reading the manual backward and forward will not teach you as much as the class will. It's free.
"Some infant seats have head supports that actually tend to push a newborn's head forward. I have heard safety techs complain about them many times. If this is possibly the case with your seat, you can take the head support out and try a rolled up receiving blanket instead. Make sure you check your instructions to verfiy that you are allowed to take the support out (some seats do not allow you to remove it).
Here are some pictures of newborns using receiving blankets as head support...
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/car_seats/…
Also, make sure that your seat is at a 45 degree angle. Most seats have indicators on the side, but sometimes they aren't completely accurate. Read the information on this website about tips for installing an infant seat. There is some discussion about making sure you have a 45 degree angle...
http://www.carseatsite.com/reclineangle.…
You want to make sure to correct this problem. It is dangerous to have your newborn's head slumped forward - it cuts off their airway."
from here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2008051214245...
http://community.babycenter.com/post/a21983807/head_falli....
Roll up a baby blanket and put them on either side of the head. My boys were preemies so they were really rolling around in their seat all of 5 pounds. Do not use those head pads, the NICU nurses and the sheriff's office said those are not rated or tested for crash.
Hi Teddy. You may have the wrong seat or maybe there is a way to tilt the seat back so that baby does not lean forward. Check with a speciality baby store to see if they can offer any advice. Congratulations on the new one.
L.
I have always had the same prob with my little ones. That head thing the carseats come with is way too big for infants. I went to wal-mart and got this head support. It is this foam u-shaped head rest. Basically just like what comes with the car seat but thicker so their little heads don't fall forward. They are gray and the top part where the head fits is either blue or pink. Here is a link so you can see what they are :
http://www.walmart.com/ip/GoldBug-AirFlow-Infant-Head-Sup...
They are usually in the store. I have bought one for both my kids and used them when they were newborn. I just had my second in January and this thing was a lifesaver!! Best wishes and congratulations!:)
p.s. If you have to wash it, let it air dry after. I put mine in the dryer and then had little pieces of foam coming out and had to buy a new one. It air drys in just a couple hours and you are good to go. Best wishes and congrats!
I agree with the receiving blankets, assuming you have it installed correctly. My son's head rolled around too. The positioner that comes with the Graco is pretty useless. I looked for those pictures on Ashley's link and it didn't go to the pics. I did a search for "receiving blankets, and on page 9 of the only article that came up, it shows the pictures. (That whole website seems really informative, I'm going to have to check it out sometime.)
Congratulations on your new baby! :) This is a great site for any questions you have. Welcome!
If her head is falling forward, then the seat is not installed correctly. You can take it to the sheriffs office and they have car seat experts that can check that for you.
The seat should have an indicator on the side where if you have it installed at the correct angle, the indicator will be green (or red - it's been a long time since my girls were newborn, but definitely read the manual that came with the car seat! It will tell you how to read the indicator).
You can also go to the highway patrol; they are certified to inspect car seat installations and can help you fix it if you have it installed incorrectly.
If it's just a matter of her being tiny and having a floppy head still, you can roll up a receiving blanket and wedge it from one shoulder, over the top of her head, to the other shoulder to keep her head from wobbling around. Sometimes the head stabilizing thing the car seat comes with is too big for tiny babies.
Congratulations on your new baby!
It sounds like the seat is installed a little too upright for a newborn. For a newborn/young baby, the seat should be at a 45 degree angle.
Also alot of times the newborn headrests do more harm than good, try removing it and using a rolled up receiving blanket on each side of her head (NEVER under her or around the harness) but just beside her. This will also support her body a little more too, as newborns tend to not fit as well even in infant seats if they are very small.
www.safekids.org and find a car seat event in your area. Make sure whoever installs your seat is a SAFE KIDS CERTIFIED CPST and not just a random person at hte fire department or police station. Most of the time police officers and fireman have had only a 2hr training one time, but CPST's are trained yearly and continually on best practice and new advice.
3 out of every 4 car seats is installed and used wrong, chances are yours is one of them. Get it checked by a CPST to make sure its in right and being used right 100% of the time.
Sometimes all it takes is just a tightly rolled up towel or cut up pool noodle under the base of the car seat (tucked into the bight of the vehicle seat) to recline the seat enough. Most new vehicles have very angled seats, so it makes the car seat install more upright than it should be.
Hey Teddy-
Check the side of your car seat, often there will be a level type tool, when the ball is in the green, the seat is at the right angle, and your child's head won't fall forward. If not, read the manual, the seat may rotate slightly.
Lastly, call your local fire department. I'm in Oregon and the fire departments are trained on how to properly install child car seats. You may have the seat installed wrong.
It's very common, it's estimated 80% are.
Good luck!
R. Magby
i think its the dmv or even the police station will make sure your seat is correctly installed. if it is she should be in a more relaxed position and should not be able to have her head lean forward at all. our driveway has a incline so we had to park on the flat street to adjust the seat correctly.
i would definatly NOT DO what alisha R. suggested. that can be very dangerous espically in a car wreck!
Hi Teddy,
There is probably nothing incorrect about the way you've installed the carseat, but it is a good idea to get it checked if you are unsure. I had the same problem with my kids and the ONLY thing that helped to keep their heads from falling forward were neck wings. These worked wonderfully! They look like mini pillows that attach to the carseat strap area against both sides the neck. When my kids were very young and had little to no neck control, I used these whenever they were in their carseats. I would position them in a V-shape, tucked under their jawline and chin. You can find neck wings at Babies R Us usually in the carseat department for around $10. I loved these and my kids always looked so comfortable when they were so little. Much better than having their little heads flung forward all the time. By the way, the inserts that are included with the carseats are useless in my opinion. The neck wings were the only thing I used that really worked in stabilizing my children's heads. Let me know if this helps and congrats!
Hello Teddy,
Congratulations on the new baby!
We rolled up receiving blankets and placed the rolls around my son's head to keep it stable. The police department suggested it when we took the seat in have the installation checked.
We were never completely able to keep his head from falling forward but this helped. I'll be interested to see what other people have to say.
Good luck and congratulations again!
T.
your base for the carseat should have angle adjustment on it but if it still wont work the rolled up towel or pool noodle under the base to level it out is actually a government recommended tip and is included in many carseat installation instructions if i remember correctly the graco manual even recommends it to get the right angle. it is safer to have the seat reclined properly. i agree with asking a carseat checking place to look over the carseat. good luck and congrats on the new one!
tilt the seat back a little. gravity baby, gravity.
I had the same problem with my kids. The head support that comes with the "bucket seat" is for a larger baby. I purchased one from babies are us that was nicer and fuller than the one that came with the system. I see some people on here are suggesting not to use them. I personally don't see how they would hurt. It's got to be better than a poor baby who's head is flopped downward. Lastly, the biggest issue with her head falling forward is the angle of the seat. I had a Graco too and there's a little dial on the side of the plastic. Make sure it's at the right angle. Sounds like you need to play around with the installation. It might need to be at less of an angle. Your local fire dept can help you. Although, call first because only certain fire fighters are certified.
Sounds like her seat is too upright at the head. I agree with the other mom's to get it checked by a seat check area for proper install.
Good luck and Congrats!
S.
Roll up burp clothes or recieving blankets. I took a carseat class and they told me to secure their head with those
Go to www.seatcheck.org and find a trained inspector near you. They will help you immensely!
Sad fact is (and I don't mean you specifically) the majority of car seats are either installed incorrectly or used improperly.
Finding an inspection site will be well worth the time over the life of your little girl. You can seek advice everytime her needs change. And it's FREE!
p.s. Congratulations!
There are things called "neck wings". They sell them at Babies R Us. They are wonderful.
About $10.00 - boy or girl colors. Our daughter still uses hers when we travel since she always falls asleep and she is 3.
Well worth it.
K.
My sister bought her baby a baby headrest that she puts in the back of her head. It's cute.
