<ZT>Dangers of leaving your baby to sleep in a carseat

Dangers of leaving your baby to sleep in a carseat
http://www.askamum.co.uk/News/Search-Results/News-archive/Dangers-of-leaving-your-baby-to-sleep-in-a-carseat/?&R=EPI-387


Babies shouldn't be left to sleep in their carseats, because it may cut off their breathing according to recent studies

It's warned that carseats shouldn't be used as a substitute for carry cots, where babies can sleep for long periods of time.

Doctors believe sleeping in the upright position puts babies at risk of obstructing their airways, which could endanger their lives.

The warning is designed to alert parents who may rely on car journeys for sending their babies to sleep - and then allowing them to stay asleep in the car seat for hours.

A new study looked at nine infants who suffered 'life threatening events' while strapped into a car seat where they were left asleep outside the car.

The children were described as "blue", "scrunched up" and "not breathing", says a report from New Zealand researchers in today's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Reconstuctions of the events demonstrated that the little one's heads had dropped, with their chins pressing on their chests, restricting breating.

Paediatrician Professor Alistair Gunn, who did the study at the Auckland Cot Monitoring Service, says carseats are essential to protect children in an accident, but they're not meant to be used as a substitute for a cot or bed when the children aren't being transported around.

'They should be used for their principal purpose, not as a sleeping aid,' he says.

'There are several possible reasons why the babies could be at risk in a car seat which is being used outside the car, although we can't fully explain it.

"Babies are often left by themselves when they are taken into the house in a car safety seat, which means the parents are not around to keep an eye on them.

'It may also be that babies don't sleep so deeply when they are asleep in the car, and the journeys are often of short duration so there is less time for problems to arise,' he adds.

Dr Michael Hayes, from the Child Accident Prevention Trust, says, ''When used properly, child passenger restraints reduce injury by 90-95% for rear facing systems and 60% for forward facing systems compared with not using a restraint.'

He welcomed new UK legislation that all children in cars should use appropriate child restraints and that adult seat belts are intended for adults, not children.

He says, 'This study looked at car safety seats being used outside the car - inside the car these safety features save lives.

'It's unlikely any health problems will arise from sleeping babies being taken into the house in a safety seat for a short period of time, but this study suggests they should not be used for hours as a substitute for a carry cot or proper cot' he adds.

Some car seats are designed to be fixed to frames which provide a travel system, but the car seat manufacturers said parents were already advised against letting babies spend a long time in them.

A spokesman for Maxi-Cosi says, 'We advise parents not to leave babies in them for long periods because they need to lie flat for some of the time.'