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Car Seats Impair Newborns' Breathing

By Henry J. Fishman, M.D.
ConsumerAffairs.com

June 1, 2006

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Don't keep your newborn child in a car seat for too long. He or she can develop trouble breathing, and experience low oxygen levels, according to an article published in the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers studied 50 full-term babies and 50 premature babies born at an average of 35 weeks. They sat each child in a car seat for 90 minutes. Within 15 minutes, the blood oxygen levels of both groups had fallen below their hospital levels.

They fell an average of more than 6 percent in the first hour. The oxygen level of some infants fell as much as 15 percent, which is far less than a healthy infant needs.

Some of the infants also develop low heart rates and breathing rates.

Conclusions: While we don't know exactly why car seats bother newborns, they surely do. Car seats do affect newborns' breathing, so keep your newborn in a car seat or similar device for as short a time as possible.

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