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Oops, Don't Do It Again

Buying, Installing and Using Infant Seats the Right Way

By Teri Brown

Remember the footage of Britney Spears driving with a baby on her lap? Britney with her baby's car seat facing the wrong way? So what did she do wrong? Obviously, you never drive with your baby on your lap, but facing the car seat the wrong way is a mistake many parents have made.

Children's safety seats are something every parent has to think about. Before you can even leave the hospital with your new baby you have to have an infant car seat. But what kind of car seat is best and how are they supposed to be installed?

Linda Sherwood, a mother of four from Merritt, Mich., wondered the same thing when her first child was born. "There are so many ways to get car seat installations wrong, and when I sought help, there wasn't anyone in my area who was certified," she says. "I was part of a parent group, and through that organization I organized for a local training session. Even with a local session, many of the people who signed up were from other areas. I wanted to make sure my area benefited, so I took the course myself."

Sherwood organized local safety inspections and trained parents and officials who work with families. She made sure she shared her knowledge with groups that could use that information. "As a mother, I wanted to make sure my children were as safe as possible," she says. "Have you ever seen a newborn in a car seat? They are so tiny and the seat just towers over them. It wasn't easy for me to trust that seat to care for my newborn, and I felt I had to know how to use it so even my tiny newborn would be safe."

Tammy Horvath, a registered nurse and the project coordinator of Safe Kids of Orange County, Fla., believes Britney Spears has helped the infant safety seat cause. "Britney Spears has actually helped the car safety seat arena by bringing the subject to the forefront," she says.

Want to see more?

• A Safe Ride: Car Seats Are Serious Business
• Car Seat Crying: When the Buzz of the Engine Doesn't Lull Your Baby to Sleep
• Car Seat Games: Activities for Babies on the Go
• Talk about it!