Mums and dads are being advised not to leave their babies in their car seat when outside of the vehicle. The advice coincides with Lushington Chiropractic’s focus on posture this month.
The Chiropractors at Lushington in Eastbourne say that keeping your baby in a car seat for long periods can be detrimental to their posture. In a car seat, a child’s spine remains in a C-shape, preventing the natural curves of the neck and lower back from forming.
There is evidence that babies left in car seats for a long period of time may have difficulty breathing because of the pressure created by this unnatural sitting position. While modern car seats offer important safety and security during travel, parent should be aware that babies should not be left in them for extended periods of time. This means taking regular breaks on long journeys and transferring babies to an appropriate pram when away from the vehicle.
A car seat can affect your back health, too
It should also be highlighted that carrying a baby in a car seat by hand is difficult and potentially dangerous for the parent. Car seats may come equipped with handles but they are cumbersome and difficult to carry by one’s side. Most people lean forward and twist when they get the seats in and out of the car. The spine is strong and stable but it does struggle to cope with the combination of leaning and twisting under a substantial load. Even the lightest of babies can put stress on the spine when combined with the weight of the seat itself.
When walking around, a good quality sling or wrap is much better for you and baby if you need to carry them. Make sure that the sling is of sufficient quality and that the baby is held within it properly: get a sling that puts their hips in a correct position, like you have a little koala hanging on to you, then the weight is distributed properly which helps to encourage proper musculoskeletal development.
Research references:
Timothy Littlefield, et al., Car Seats, Infant Carriers, and Swings: Their Role in deformational Plagiocephaly Journal of Prosthetics & Orthotics 15 (July 2003): 102-106.
Wall-Scheffler C, Geiger K, Steudel-Numbers K. Infant carrying: The increased locomotory costs in early development. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 2007; 133: 841-846. Doi: 10,1002/ajpa.20603
Hunziker UA, Barr RZ. Increased Carrying Reduces Infant Crying: A randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics 1986;77(5): 641-648
This article was written by James Revell (Doctor of Chiropractic) at Lushington Chiropractic
Lushington Chiropractic is a multi-award winning chiropractic and sports massage clinic in Eastbourne town centre. We provide a range of treatments from expert chiropractic care to nutritional therapy, counselling, acupuncture, podiatry, sports massage and relaxing massage.
We genuinely care about our patients and improving their quality of life. We have an extremely professional and dedicated team who deliver the highest service and have over 80 years expertise between them.
Suffering with back pain, neck pain, muscle spasms or joint aches then call today to see why over 8,000 local people have already chosen Lushington to help them: 01323 722499.
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