Mom Warns Babies Should Never Be In Car Seats For More Than 1 Hour After Newborn Almost Dies
Sometimes the car seems like a safe haven to new parents as it offers
the perfect environment for their little one to stop crying and fall
asleep. Therefore, when the parents of baby Harper – a 3-week-old infant
– saw her fall deep into sleep while they were stuck in traffic, they
did not mind it at all. However, baby Harper almost died due to being
stuck in her seat for too long.
The young couple, Kirsti and Christopher Clark, have now embarked on a campaign to sensitize other parents on the potential dangers of leaving your newborn in their car seat for too long.
When the parents of two, who are from Scotland, finally arrived home after their almost two-hour errand, they got their daughters inside and let Harper sleep in her car seat for an extra 15 minutes while they tucked their elder daughter, Malena, into bed as it was past her bed time. While narrating the ordeal to the Daily Mail, Kirsti remembers Christopher getting Harper out of her seat and putting her on his knee.
Harper didn’t appear comfortable there so he decided to lay her down on the mat and that is when she started kicking about. Kirsti then noticed Harper’s lips had a shade of blue while Chris pointed out how red her cheeks were. From the look on Christopher’s face, Kirtsi could tell something was wrong.
Kirsti recollects that it did not appear to be a normal seizure. Harper was throwing her head back while arching her back.
Even though it took the couple only five minutes to get their kid back into the car and get to a hospital, those minutes felt like an eternity. That short journey was horrendous as Kirsti attempted to ensure that her baby was breathing, but she couldn’t tell as Kirsti herself was shaking so much. The only thought in her head was that they were going to lose her.
After being told that the infant had been in her car seat for over one and a half hours during their drive home, and an extra 15 as Malena was tucked in, the physicians said that that was the cause. They explained to Kirsti that being in the car seat for that length of time had deprived Harper of sufficient oxygen.
The effects of this deprivation were so intense that when she was removed out of the seat, the immediate rush of oxygen sent her body into shock.
Thankfully, additional tests confirmed that baby Harper was in perfect shape and that there was nothing wrong with her car seat. However, the doctors told them that a baby shouldn’t be left in a car seat for more than an hour as it might put them at risk of oxygen deprivation.
Kirsti says that when she was told it was all because of the car seat, she couldn’t believe it. She thought that it was not possible, and couldn’t understand why no one had ever informed them about that risk.
She says she knew that one shouldn’t keep a baby in the car seat overnight as it might cause curvature of their spine, but she had never heard of oxygen deprivation from car seats.
A 2006 study revealed that babies four weeks and under are at a higher risk of developing breathing difficulties if left in their car seats for too long. Doctors recommend that parents to such infants not to take on drives longer than 30 minutes with their babies.
Moreover, even if you have an older baby that can stay in their seat for longer, you shouldn’t let them continue sleeping in it after you get to your destination. Another study discovered that the leading cause of death in infants during their first year is sleep related, and car seats also played a role in it.
As such, you should never use a car seat as a sleeping area when not inside the vehicle.
KirstI and Christopher Clark never knew that they had put their daughter at risk – now they’re warning other parents.
Even though the ordeal still gets Kirsti emotional, she’s using it to raise awareness among other parents. She advises new parents to always carefully watch out for their babies and to take them out of the car seat whenever it is not necessary.
Have you ever been in a similar ordeal? Or do you know any new parents that should know about this? Do not hesitate to spread this information as it could be lifesaving.
Source: dailybroccoli.com
The young couple, Kirsti and Christopher Clark, have now embarked on a campaign to sensitize other parents on the potential dangers of leaving your newborn in their car seat for too long.
Harper began having serious seizures as soon as she picked out of her car seat.
When the parents of two, who are from Scotland, finally arrived home after their almost two-hour errand, they got their daughters inside and let Harper sleep in her car seat for an extra 15 minutes while they tucked their elder daughter, Malena, into bed as it was past her bed time. While narrating the ordeal to the Daily Mail, Kirsti remembers Christopher getting Harper out of her seat and putting her on his knee.
Harper didn’t appear comfortable there so he decided to lay her down on the mat and that is when she started kicking about. Kirsti then noticed Harper’s lips had a shade of blue while Chris pointed out how red her cheeks were. From the look on Christopher’s face, Kirtsi could tell something was wrong.
Horrified, the couple rushed harper to hospital as she foamed at the nose and mouth.
Kirsti remembers watching Harper’s jaw clench shut as Christopher held her. Her lips turned blue and white foam began coming out of her mouth and nose. It was a horrifying moment. Chris started patting Harper’s back as Kirsti attempted to pry her mouth open to prevent Harper from swallowing her tongue. Nevertheless, her jaw refused to budge.Kirsti recollects that it did not appear to be a normal seizure. Harper was throwing her head back while arching her back.
Even though it took the couple only five minutes to get their kid back into the car and get to a hospital, those minutes felt like an eternity. That short journey was horrendous as Kirsti attempted to ensure that her baby was breathing, but she couldn’t tell as Kirsti herself was shaking so much. The only thought in her head was that they were going to lose her.
Fortunately, doctors got baby harper breathing normally again, and immediately embarked on tests to determine the cause of the issue.
After being told that the infant had been in her car seat for over one and a half hours during their drive home, and an extra 15 as Malena was tucked in, the physicians said that that was the cause. They explained to Kirsti that being in the car seat for that length of time had deprived Harper of sufficient oxygen.
The effects of this deprivation were so intense that when she was removed out of the seat, the immediate rush of oxygen sent her body into shock.
Thankfully, additional tests confirmed that baby Harper was in perfect shape and that there was nothing wrong with her car seat. However, the doctors told them that a baby shouldn’t be left in a car seat for more than an hour as it might put them at risk of oxygen deprivation.
Kirsti says that when she was told it was all because of the car seat, she couldn’t believe it. She thought that it was not possible, and couldn’t understand why no one had ever informed them about that risk.
She says she knew that one shouldn’t keep a baby in the car seat overnight as it might cause curvature of their spine, but she had never heard of oxygen deprivation from car seats.
The age of a baby can determine how long they can be left in a car seat.
A 2006 study revealed that babies four weeks and under are at a higher risk of developing breathing difficulties if left in their car seats for too long. Doctors recommend that parents to such infants not to take on drives longer than 30 minutes with their babies.
Moreover, even if you have an older baby that can stay in their seat for longer, you shouldn’t let them continue sleeping in it after you get to your destination. Another study discovered that the leading cause of death in infants during their first year is sleep related, and car seats also played a role in it.
As such, you should never use a car seat as a sleeping area when not inside the vehicle.
KirstI and Christopher Clark never knew that they had put their daughter at risk – now they’re warning other parents.
Even though the ordeal still gets Kirsti emotional, she’s using it to raise awareness among other parents. She advises new parents to always carefully watch out for their babies and to take them out of the car seat whenever it is not necessary.
Have you ever been in a similar ordeal? Or do you know any new parents that should know about this? Do not hesitate to spread this information as it could be lifesaving.
Source: dailybroccoli.com
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