How long can we leave a baby in a car seat?

Child seat in the car:

A child seat is mandatory when traveling by car with a child under 10 years old. The seat must be installed backwards to ensure its safety in the event of an accident. But according to Peter Fleming, a professor at the University of Bristol in England, this gesture will not be without risks for the little ones, hence the importance of taking appropriate safety measures.

A study conducted by Churchill Car Insurance, a British car insurance company, warns parents of possible respiratory problems when children stay too long in a child seat while traveling by car. It was carried out on 2,000 parents and would have lifted the veil on some risks that three-quarters of the respondents are not aware of.

Indeed, 75% of parents do not know that it is not recommended to take journeys of more than 30 minutes by car with a newborn and a third of them will not realize that it is necessary to take a 15-minute break every two hours when the child is on the plane.

Information still unknown:

This survey is not the first of its kind to highlight the risks associated with the safety of children in a car In 2016 safety expert Professor Peter Fleming contributed to a study on placing children in child seats According to the results of this research, a very long journey can cause breathing problems in a child , affecting his heart rate.

• The study, which was carried out by the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Bristol, based its findings on the infant's supine position. When this is prolonged and associated with the vibrations of the vehicle, it is bound to cause health problems for the child. According to Professor Peter Fleming, "Positioning the child in a 40-degree position with the vibrations one would feel in a car leads to an increase in heart rate and respiration".
• Thus it is highly recommended not to exceed more than 30 minutes of continuous flight for babies from 4 to 6 weeks of age.

Child seats are always necessary:

While the results of the study call for caution in the use of child restraints, the fact remains that they are essential to the safety of young people. In fact, child seats are mandatory even from a legal point of view. “Parents should not stop using child seats for their children. They must be protected in a moving vehicle and this is required by law,” explains Dr. Renu Arya, who conducted the aforementioned study.