Stroller Safety Tips: Ensuring Child Safety in A Stroller

For most parents, purchasing a baby stroller is a priority. But with so many types and designs of strollers, how do you determine a safe stroller for your kids? Reading this post is a first step in understanding how to choose a safe stroller for your little ones. You will also know how to keep your baby safe in the travel system.

What design of stroller is secure for a newborn?

If you are planning to secure a newborn with a stroller, ensure that the stroller’s seats fully reclines – because newborns can’t hold up their heads and sit upright. Some can be used with an infant car seat while others can fully recline to secure a newborn. You should be careful when choosing an umbrella stroller since some don’t offer sufficient back and head support for young kids.

Also, some jogging strollers aren’t build to recline. Most of the jogging strollers are not suitable for kids who are below 6 months old. Therefore be wise when choosing a jogging stroller to secure your newborn. Also, ensure the stroller has adequate space where the kids can seat comfortably.

What you are required to know about baby carriages?

If you own a car, you should choose a stroller that can hold the baby’s car seat. Most strollers and car seats are sold in matching sets while a few need separate attachment that makes the baby carriage compatible with particular car seats. Once the baby is strapped into the car seat, these types of strollers allow you to move the baby from the car and stroller simply.

If you have a baby carriage that enables you to move the baby’s carseat from your vehicle to the stroller base, it is wise to let your kid finish any car naps in his or her car seat. However, studies have shown that sitting in an upright position in a car seat may compress a kid’s chest and cause low levels of oxygen (O2) in the blood. You should be careful because even slight airway obstruction can hinder a kid’s development.

According to child health experts, you should not let your baby relax or sleep in his or her car seat for two hours or more. Leaving your child in the car seat for long hours can lead to a growth of a flat mark on the hind of your kid’s head. The worst situation is the development of the (GERD) gastroesophageal reflux disease – a chronic digestive disease.

What if your kid has some special needs?

If your kid has health concerns or was born prematurely, you may choose a travel system with sufficient storage to carry all the kid’s essential equipment like oxygen or cardiac monitor. Parents of children who have same health concerns can be of great help.

Other safety features to consider in a stroller.

• Practical brakes – choose a stroller that is fitted with easy-to-operate brakes. Some strollers come with brakes that function by locking two wheels – an exceptional safety feature. Ensure you kid can’t reach the lock release lever because he or she can cause accidents.

• A wide base – strollers that come with a wide base aren’t easy to tip over.

• A single footrest – if you want a side by side double stroller, select a travel system with one footrest that expands across the sitting areas. Since kids have small feet, their feet can be trapped in between separate footrests.

How to ensure your baby is safe in the stroller during a ride

To prevent travel system accidents:

• Stay close – avoid leaving your kids unattended in their stroller.

• Be careful with the baby’s toys – in case you hang toys on the stroller bumper to keep the kids entertained, ensure the toys are well fastened.

• Buckle up – ensure you always buckle your kid’s seat belt and harness when taking him/her out for a ride.

• Use your brakes – ensure you always engage the stroller brakes when stopping your stroller.

• Properly store the travel essentials – avoid hanging bags from the travel system’s handlebar, because the bags can make the stroller to tip over.

• Be careful when folding your stroller – ensure your baby is some distance away from your stroller as you fold and open it because the kid’s fingers can get trapped in the stroller hinges. Always ensure your travel system is locked open as you place the baby on it.

• Keep your stroller out of direct sun – during hot weather, never let your kids stroller stay in direct sun for long hours. Leaving the stroller in the sun can cause the metal and plastic parts to become hot to a level of burning your baby. If the stroller spends some time in the sun, inspect the stroller’s parts temperature before placing your kid in the stroller.

• Check for recalls – ensure you return the travel system warranty card to be notified in case of stroller recall. If you want to buy a second-hand stroller, ensure the travel system has not been recalled. But it isn’t advisable to purchase a used stroller.