Iowa has been frigid lately. We can all agree on that. Parents naturally want to bundle up their children before heading outside. However, there are hidden dangers when bundling up children before putting them into a car seat.

The danger

If a vehicle crash were to occur, all the material of a bulky winter coat or other bundling products will compress making the harness straps too loose on the child. When the harness straps are not snug on the child’s body, they don’t do their job of helping the child come to a gentle stop during a crash. Many puffy coats and snowsuits can leave up to 4 inches of slack in the straps. Four inches of slack significantly increases the risk of injury, particularly their head. It’s possible the straps could even be so loose the child slips through the straps and comes out of the child restraint. Also as the car warms up the kids can start to overheat if they have all these warm materials between them and the harness straps which they can’t remove. Think about how uncomfortable you become in a heavy coat with a well-heated vehicle.

How to check

Put the coat on your child, sit them in the child seat and fasten the harness. Tighten the harness until you can no longer pinch any of the harness webbings with your thumb and forefinger

Without loosening the harness, remove your child from the child seat,

Take the coat off and put your child back in the car seat and buckle the harness straps, which are still adjusted as they were when he was wearing the coat.

If you can now pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger then the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness.

How to keep your child warm

From the American Academy of Pediatrics, here are some simple tips on keeping your child SAFE and WARM this winter.

Store the carrier portion of infant seats inside the house when not in use. Keeping the seat at room temperature will reduce the loss of the child’s body heat in the car.

Dress your child in thin layers. Start with close-fitting layers on the bottom, like tights, leggings, or long-sleeved bodysuits. Then add pants and a warmer top, like a sweater or thermal-knit shirt. Don’t forget hats, mittens, and socks or booties. These help keep kids warm without interfering with car seat straps.

Use a coat or blanket over the straps. You can add a blanket over the top of the harness straps or put your child’s winter coat on backwards (over the buckled harness straps) after he or she is buckled up.

Pack an emergency bag for your car. Keep extra blankets, dry clothing, hats and gloves, and non-perishable snacks in your car in case of an on-road emergency or your child gets wet on a winter outing.

We know that you want to keep your children safe, healthy, and happy…this is just one simple way!

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Carrie Kube is a Director for the Iowa River Valley Early Childhood Area Board.