New parents warned to leave note on their baby's car seat
Eloise Hill
Content writerThis task only takes two minutes and it could potentially save your child's life.
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We all know the importance of choosing the correct car seat for your baby or toddler but did you know there's another safety precaution you can take to protect your little one?
It takes just two minutes to do and it could save their life – especially now that the sun is out and we're taking every excuse to go for trips out.
Before you next head out in the car, Kaitlyn Lawson, a US-based paramedic (EMT) and mum is urging parents to write down some important information onto a small note and then stick it on the back of their child's car seat.
She posted the following on Facebook:
'Way too often do emergency crew come upon a car wreck with children in the car who are too young to have any information and parents are unconscious.
'It takes 2 minutes of your time to write out child’s name, DOB, parents names, DOB, emergency contacts and any medical conditions, any meds your child is on and even child’s doctor, then stick it to the child’s car seat.'
According to the paramedic, this will help the emergency services and could even save your child's life.
Kaitlyn's advice was first shared on social media back in 2018 and has resurfaced recently as the advice is very much still valid. Parents are offering their own safety tips, too.
One mum said parents should make sure 'baby on board' stickers are removed from cars once their child gets older. This way, firefighters and paramedics won't waste valuable time looking for a baby that doesn't exist.
According to Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, other ways you can keep your children safe in the car include ensuring their car seat is fitted correctly, as research shows two thirds of them are fitted incorrectly.
They also advise parents to remove their child's coats or blankets when putting them into the seat.
This is because they may 'increase the distance between (the) child's body and the harness straps,' potentially causing the seatbelt to malfunction.
Another tip for safer travel is to use extended rear-facing car seats for your children. Crash test evidence has shown that kids will sustain less head, neck and chest injuries by travelling this way. Halfords has a wide range of car seats of all ages – see more details here.
Do you have an emergency note on your baby's car seat or will this persuade you to do one? Join in the car seat chat in our forum thread, below ...
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