Is it necessary for YOU to buy Bassinet/Carrycot instead of
car seat?
Many parents will considering buying infant car seats
instead of carrycot/bassinet.
This is predominantly due to the
carrycot/bassinet will be only used to the 1st 6 months.
However it appears that the car seat is often used for long strolling,
and many parents are using the car seat instead of a carrycot.
Car seats are
very important for safe car travel but they are not ideal for other uses. There
are some concerns around baby being in the car seat too long.
The safest position for a baby to sleep is flat on their back; and as new babies often fall asleep whilst being pushed in the stroller, the best position for them to be in when in the stroller is lying flat.
This is very important for babies (especially for premature)
to lie as flat as possible in the early days and at least for 5 months because
they raise the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and silent reflux problems.
There is some evidence revealed that babies who are in car
seats are held in a position which can partially compress the chest wall and
reduce airway size, resulting in lower levels of oxygen. Keeping a baby in an
unnatural curved position for long periods of time might prevent or delay the
correct development of the spine.
Current research showed the evidence of the baby to lie flat
- otherwise their body weight puts pressure on the hip joints and pelvis. If
you don't want to buy a carrycot, then how about just using a sling (not the
Baby Bjorn type, but one in which the baby can lie in fetal position).
References:
www.fsid.org.uk
Kornhauser Cerar L, Scirica CV, et al. 2009. A comparison of respiratory patterns in healthy term infants placed in car safety seats and beds.Pediatrics.124(3):e396-402. Epub 2009 Aug 24. pediatrics.aappublications.org [pdf file, accessed March 2011]
http://www.livestrong.com/article/16...#ixzz1mYoFg7z0
http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/2003_03_102.asp
Car Seats, Infant Carriers, and Swings: Their Role in Deformational Plagiocephaly Timothy R. Littlefield, MS