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Parents are being told not to let their babies sleep in car seats at home because of the risk of them suffocating.

Researchers made the warning after reviewing around 12,000 sleep-related deaths in infants over the course of a decade.

Nearly 220 youngsters died while in car seats – but only 0.2 per cent of the deaths occurred while they were travelling in a vehicle.

More than half of car seat deaths occurred when the seat was being used at the child’s home, shares Daily Mail.

The most common cause of deaths in car seats is positional asphyxia, the team at University of Virginia Children’s Hospital warned.

It occurs when a person’s position prevents them from breathing by blocking their mouth and nose.

When a car seat is used correctly in the car, it is secured to a base at an angle where a child’s airway is open.

But when the car seat is sat on a flat surface, a child’s head can slouch forward because they have weaker neck muscles, cutting off their airways.

If the child is not repositioned soon after slouching, a lack of oxygen can result in death or brain damage, experts warn.

Experts have warned car seats must not be used as a regular sleeping device. They recommend babies are put to sleep on their back in a Moses basket or cot.

safe sleep

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  • I can understand why people leave a sleeping baby but once again supervision and also knowledge. If parents knew that this habit was harmful and dangerous for their child I’m sure most would not let their child stay in a capsule to sleep.

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  • to be honest, I didn’t know this. the only reason why I didn’t want one was because I didn’t want to keep bringing the carrier in and out of the car due to the weight. I thought it would be easier to put the baby in and out of the car and place it in the pram or in the arms. its interesting now days, have the newly mums been told prior to buying the car seat of the awareness? I wasn’t told anything before I bought a car seat. im glad I now know now, I can let my friend who just had her first baby about it.

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  • I had a convertible car seat from birth so never did the capsule. I do get the convenience of them, and how attractive that can be. Friends recommended getting one that clips onto a pram so you don’t have to wake the baby, but I just couldn’t do it. It’s sad that babies are still dying from something that can be easily avoidable. It all comes down to correct information and warning labels

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  • I see this all the time and it makes me cringe.

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  • A car seat is just that a child seat for the car, not a bed.

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  • Never did do what is now recommend for putting children in cots or baskets. Rules were different then and so use them for children I had later on.

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  • Car seats belong in the car and not anywhere else. I can see the advantage as your child is asleep and you do not want to disturb them. Better to disturb them and live then not too and they may die.

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  • A great reminder for the true purpose of this baby product

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  • Indeed. Better to use them just in the car.

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  • The same thing can happen when babies are in the carseats when you are driving. There is nothing to stop the same thing happening. I had the same problem with one of ours in the stroller if I walked somewhere. I tried supporting his head with a blanket but that didn’t stop the problem. I stopped to check him and re-adjust the position he had his head in. It is a good quality stroller that you can tilt the back and also has a hood on it.

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  • I hate capsules purely because people leave their kids in them, they are not a bed!

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  • I can understand how a parent would leave them in the car seat when there are new born. I personally never experienced this cause both of my children never fit and capsules but I can see the convenience and also not wanting to wake them up when they’re falling asleep.

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  • So much new information it really gets confusing. This is the whole idea of these capsules as to not disturb a sleeping baby.
    Sometimes i think there is too much information. If we abided by everything we heard or read we might as well lock ourselves inside, not eat or drink anything etc…

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  • This is so scary! I always let my son sleep in his capsule at home. Will definitely be a lot more careful with the next baby

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  • This is one of the biggest reasons I didn’t get a pram that had the car capsule attachment. I didn’t want to leave my baby asleep in a capsule attached to a pram just in case. I would rather get my baby out and if he woke I would re-settle him, it’s better than the alternative

    Reply

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