Grand Children

It is not against the law, but it is not safe to have a bulky snowsuit underneath the straps of a carseat. It puts too much space between the child and the restraint.... the straps can slip off/not restrain the child properly. The thickest layer you should put is a heavy fleece coat/jacket. There are some fleece snowsuits on the market that are safe, but the big fluffy down ones are not. It is recommended that you use the thinner layers and then cover the child with blankets or what not for the walk out to the car, or if you have a thicker coat, to take it off, put them in the seat and then put the coat on "backwards" over the top of the straps.

Some examples of snowsuits that are ok for the carseat:

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryD...

http://www.landsend.com/pp/SolidFleeceBunting~133172_-1.h...

http://www.rei.com/product/786788

You can dress her however you want in the car seat. I never really put my kids in a snow suit though because I thought they would be way too hot. I think layering clothes with a blanket or a bundle-me is better.

I do not really know the answer, but I did not know how to read the responses unless I wrote somethng here. I would say, as long as the carseat still fits why would it be illeagal?

J.

I researched this myself recently and found that it is highly recommended by many sources that you do not put a child in a car seat in a big coat or snowsuit, because of the reduced effectiveness of the safety straps. Not to mention it's a pain in the rear trying to get the straps closed in the first place with one of those things on! Not too comfortable for the little one either.

If your grandchild is small enough to still use a Bundle Me, those are perfect. You can get them at Babies R Us (or Target online). Otherwise, a pre-warmed car and blankets should do the trick. On really cold days, layering works great too.

And maybe try to put a little faith in your daughter/daughter-in-law...she's the mom and it sounds like she knows what she's doing. You might want to give her some breathing room and some credit. Chances are, she'll REALLY appreciate that.

Good luck!

yes it is ture and if they are in a car accident any child with a coat or snow suit on is not safely protected with the seat belt or harness. If you are in an accident and the child has the coat or snow suit on and the child is injured (which is more likely since the seat belt doesnt work as well) you cannot sue and sometimes insurance doesnt cover all the medical bills becasue of it. There is a written law. My neighbor is an attorney, this is how I learned about this. hope that helps, i know it sounds crazy and I do buckle my kids with their coats on too no sure how to get around it. when they were little I always warmed the car up and got them in the infant carried with the warmer cover and they were HOT almost too hot so I was not too wrorie dbut as they got older and now are 8 and 4 they always have a coat on. I have another neighbor that doesnt have her kids wear coats if they are just running in and out from somewhere but I do not do that.

While not against the law, it's a smart idea. 1. Too much fullness in a snowsuit can compress in an accident and would leave the seatbelt too slack to be safe. 2. Cars and stores are usually heated so you don't want to bundle up your baby too much and have them overheat. If the baby is a newborn, get a fleece one-piece and then use a bundle-me baby car seat cover. The baby will be protected with a fleece cover up but for outdoors, zip up the bundle me for cold protection.

I've never heard that it's against the law, however as a parent of a newborn (and two other children), I too wouldn't WANT it on the child when she's in the car because of overheating.

I have wonderful "grandparents" of my children. I know they don't always agree with me or the decisions I make, however they have opted to keep their comments to themselves...which I appreciate tremendously! Their thought process is that they made their decisions for their own children, and now it's our turn.

If the mom of your grandchild doesn't want the snowsuit on, then I think the best approach is to simply say, "OK".

Sara

I am not sure if its technically against the law, but it is definitely unsafe. I have owned 7 carseats and all of their manuals stated not to put a child in the seat with a bulky coat or snowsuit. I have also been told by my pediatrician not to do it.
I hope this helps!

I have to respond to this as I was asked this question just recently,if the baby is in a snow suit the straps are not as secure thus not doing there job properly the straps need to be close to the body and snug you should be able to just get you 2 fingers underneath secondly it would be much too hot for a baby to have a snow suit on in the car they would surely overheat!
I have worked with kids for years and now I do this with my own,I heat the car up first then put a blanket over them until you get into the car there is also the bunting which you can get from babies r us this zips onto the carseat and enables the straps to be done up properly then you can unzip as and when you want!I hope this helps.

No that is not true! Thats the funniest thing i've heard in a long time. I have kids and my oldest is 17 we've always put on snow suits and everything else to keep warm in these cold terrible IL winters. If that was the case why would they sell them? Also what would parents do bundle the kids up and then unbundle them by the car? Ask her those questions. Tell her to call the non emergency police dept and they will even tell her. Also remind her that car seats have adjustable belts.

I called the police dept and you can have snowsuits and jackets on kids. They said its just like anytime you put your child in a car seat make sure its in 100% correctly. Not only just the harness but how its positioned. Most parents don't have their child in correctly and don't like to take the time to adjust the straps. You can make an appt and they will put the car seat the safest way for your child.

It is not against the law. What is against the law is not securing your child in a carseat correctly and with a snowsuit on it's hard to put them in correctly because it's so bulky. A police officer will not give you a ticket for having your child in a snowsuit! That's crazy! She probably told you that because she is worried that you won't secure the baby enough in the car seat. As a parent, I completely understand her concern. My mom has always said "oh, those straps are just too tight." I have to tell her "no there not they have to be like that." I think maybe she didn't want to hurt your feelings by questioning you so she said it's against the law. I personally don't put snowsuits on my kids and then strap them in the car. But that's me. My kids get overheated easily and car sick so that's the main reason. If the child is in a baby infant carrier there are coat like warm covers to put over the carrier that keep them warm and safe because it doesn't restrict anything. It helps to warm up the car first so this cold Chicago weather doesn't chill them (I'm sure you already knew this:) I think the mom just wants to make sure that her child is being transported the safest way possible.

Edited to say: I have taken car seat classes at the local hospital before I had my first child and they advised not to have them wear bulky things like snowsuits but never said it was against the law. The child mirrors that people buy to see their children through their mirror we were told were not safe either because in a crash it can do harm to passengers (basically anything that can be thrown in a crash isn't safe). Even though it's not advised, people still buy these mirrors but it's not against the law just not very safe.

Having too many layers on a baby in a car can cause the little one to get overheated. Throwing a blanket on top of your grand child while outside is probably a better option.
Why would you question the mother on her decision? Whether against the law or not, if she doesn't want her baby in an oversized snow suit let it be.

I do't know if it is against the law, but our pediatrician said that it is not wise to put a child in a heavy snowsuit and then buckle them into the carseat (infant) because in the event of an accident the snowsuit can prevent the seatbelt from being fastened securely around the child and can result in the child being ejected from the carseat. You are supposed to use a "bundle me" or other blankets and such that can keep the child warm over top of the seatbelts in the carseat.

Iy is not against the law but it is the safest thing to do. While they are still in a five point harness once they get into a booster this no longer applies. It can be a pain but you get use to it. I always warmed my car up first and then put my kids in and brought there jackets with.

Im glad your asking.

K.:

Your daughter in law is EXACTLY RIGHT! Putting a child in a snow suit and then into the car seat can cause the child to be expelled in a crash due to compression. The seat is designed to hold the child ONLY not to coat as well. This might help you.

What does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say about winter coats and car seat safety?

Here is a quote from NHTSA, "...to keep your baby the safest, always remove bulky clothing or blankets before you place the child in the seat. Then, put the blanket or coat over the baby. You should never place anything thick underneath the baby, unless that item came with the car seat originally - which tells you it's been tested by the manufacturer. When a child is wearing a thick coat, it's hard to tell if you have a good harness fit, which is crucial. A coat can add a lot of slack, reducing the level of protection for your child in a crash."

Additionally, here is a link with more info. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/439521/winter_co...

Trust your daughter in law, it sounds like she knows what she is talking about.:-)

TG

I have never heard of such a thing. I have a 2 year old grandchild and she wears a snowsuit in her car seat in the winter. I unzip it and take her hood off but she wears it in the car seat. Even as a small baby they have snow suits, layettes with the hole/flap in the middle to accomodate car seat buckles. My children ages 24, 20 &14 all wore snowsuits in their car seats. Maybe they just don't know how to adjust the straps. Check with your local authorities and they should be able to tell you and then you can share the information with your grandbabies parents.

I was told the same thing at the police station when I had my car seat installed. They said it is very unsafe and to strap them in without the coat or snowsuit and hen cover them with blankets. You can't get the straps secure enough otherwise. Good for your daughter or daughter in law.

That is ridiculous and untrue. How is your child supposed to stay warm while transporting them to and from the car? I did with both of my kids, as did my friends and all of THEIR kids. Gee, if we haven't been ticketed for this imaginary offense yet, I doubt it's an issue. Sounds like a control thing to me. Just my opinion though....

I have Never heard that before. I doubt there is any validity to this. How is a snow suit going to prevent the child from being safe in the car? If it is an actual law, it a rediculous one.

You don't say, but how old is your granddaughter?

I have never heard anything like that in my life!

HI K.,
While it's not AGAINST the law, it is safer NOT to put them in big bulky snow suits before putting them in a car seat. My husband and I attened a free safety class through Rush Copley hospital and they said this was due to the fact that the snow suit can provide too much space between the child and the straps. If an accident were to occur, it could compromise the effectiveness of the car seat. The instructor, a retired police officer advised to keep the child in light weight clothing and to layer with blankets over the straps. Tuck the blankets on the side. They said that this is also true of the 'bundle' me covers, that there should be NO padding or extra layers between the child and the back of the car seat. The car seat was not safety tested with these aftermarket items.

The snow suits are super cute and best used when the child is out of the car seat, we use ours when we take stroller walks and when the baby is in the sling carrier.

Hi K. B
As it is not against the law, it sounds like it is against the Moms rules/law, The childs Mother has the right to ask you not to do that because yes it does put the child in danger, I understand IL winters are brutal as i too live here and my Daughter is now 5. I have always started the car and let it run to warm up and put a couple of blankets on her in the car. yes the straps are adjustable but that is also not safe too much padding between child and straps. The safest thing for you Grandchild is no coat, use blankets. The car seat instructions will tell you that and any professional that installs car seats. carry the child to the car wrapped in a blanket to shelter from wind/weather.
Good Luck
Our family motto is Safety First!!!

V.

Hi K. Look up children car seat safety and it does stated that children shouldn't wear coats that would prevent the restrains from fitting properly. And to put a blanket over them. You didn't say how old your grandchild was. But if it's a snow suit that is not to bulky it maybe okay . So when you get a chance go on line and it tell you plenty about car seat safety.

Bulky snow suits compress on impact and the child can fly out of the straps--not pretty at all. Lands End sells fleece zipper outfits, fleece coats and fleece pull up pants that all are dense enough to be safe. Some companies also sell a zipper that goes around the car seat. You can then use fleece blankets over the top. They need a coat in case of an accident, or they could be hurt from the cold.

this is true. well its not against the law, but it isnt reccommended because the child will not be properly restrained with a bulky snowsuit on. (the belts will be too loose.) there are covers for the carseats that act as a snow suit and allow the belts to be fastened tightly.

I have heard of this but paid no attention. We live in Illinois where it is cold in the winter my kids had a snowsuit and a blanket. They never got into an accident. Yes bulky outerwear does make the seat belts a little looser. Has a child you know ever flown out of their snowsuit in a car accident or any other accident? I have never heard of that. If the child can't get out of the snowsuit then they probably won't get out of the car seat either. On a different note, is this the mom's first child? That could be part of the paranoia. No it is not illegal, yes it is not recommended but I always preferred warmth in the cold Chicago winters. People do get in accidents all the time but many of them are minor. In a bad car accident a car seat may not fully protect the child anyway. Any manor of things can happen in a car accident. I just made sure my kids were buckled in tightly in their snowsuits.

I can tell you that there is no law against this. I'm completely certain of it. But in all the books I've read and in the manuals provided by the carseat manufacturers, it is highly recommended not to do this for safety issues. It could skew how well or not the restraints work with all the extra padding/clothing. Sorry to burst her bubble but I'm 150% certain there's no law against this. Again, not the best thing to do but if you or anyone does this, you are not breaking the law or in violation.

Not sure how old of a child we are talking about here, if it's an infant and still in an infant rearfacing seat, they have the very warm fleece cover for the seat that we always used with a warm blanket and hat if it was really cold out. If it is a toddler over a year, a snowsuit is going to be really bulky under the seat restraints and not comfortable or safe, if it is a child who is a booster seat, I see no problem, my kids wear their snowsuits to school when I drop them off and they are fine. Great post and always a good reminder whether of how safe the kids are!

It's very unsafe. I obviously don't know what brought on this question, but if my mom or my MIL refuse to comply with my wishes to keep my child safer, I tell them that it's the law. She obviously has done research on what is the safest and wants the best for her child.

I live in Minnesota. My kids go to the car in their snowsuits or jackets, they get in the previously warmed car, take of jackets, leave on hats and mittens and cover up with a blanket. The extra time is well worth their safety.

So many people have misconceptions or misunderstanding about what the Illinois Child Restraint Act actually says!!! HERE IS THE ILLINOIS LAW REGARDING CHILD RESTRAINTS (CAR SEATS). (No, it does not have anything to do with what the child is wearing in the car seat, nor does it legislate any rules of front-facing vs. rear-facing.)

*************************************************
Illinois law requires all children to be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat until age eight. After age eight, Illinois law requires everyone under the age of 19 to be properly restrained anywhere in the vehicle.

Currently, Illinois law does not require children to ride rear-facing to a set weight or age like some states. Illinois law does require that all children be properly restrained in child safety seats. The American Academy of Pediatrics and NHTSA strongly recommend that children stay rear-facing until they are BOTH over one year of age AND over 20 pounds to protect their fragile head, neck, and spinal cord.

For information regarding the state of Illinois car seat laws and guidelines, visit:
http://www.buckleupillinois.org/illaw.html
*******************************************

Nonetheless, safety issues that are not regulated by law are still safety issues.

It is considered unsafe, but not against the law. A local company called The Safety Squad www.safetysquad.com is a group of firemen who started this company about installing and keeping your child safe in the car. We used what was called the Bundle Me, which kept my infant perfectly warm in the winter. We were always very quick to get them from outside to inside, less than a min, no harm done. Even the Bundle Me's are in question. Warm up the car for a minute or two before getting in the car, outside of course, never in the garage.

I wrote a nice article about the Safety Squad in my family health column link is below.

Hope that helps!

J. W. MPH
Maternal and Child Health Educator
Chicago Examiner Family Health Expert
http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...

It's not against the law, however they do say that it is safer to make sure the straps are snug against the body, then place a blanket or coat over the child. However, that isn't very realistic when it's 18 degrees out. I feel that as long as you adjust the straps to fit snugly against whatever they are in, that is also safe.
If this child is in an infant carrier, they make these wonderful covers for them. Basically, it is like a sleeping bag that fits over the carrier, and leaves a little face hole, that usually has a flap you can flip down when it is extra cold out.

It is VERY dangerous! You are not even supposed to put jackets on them in their seats because the carseat straps can't be tightened enough to keep the child safe in an accident over the extra layer of clothing.

As others have said, it is truly unsafe.

I don't know that it's against the law, but it is considered unsafe to have any puffy, cushiony fabric between a small child and their seat and harness (blanket, thick coat, etc.). I think the big question is why you wouldn't follow the wishes of your grandchild's mother (I'm guessing it's your daughter-in-law by the way you describe the relationship)? At the end of the day, unless what she asks is likely to harm the child, you need to respect the fact that this is her child and she has the right to make the rules.

You are supposed to remove bulky close before strapping into a carseat. But anyone who lives in really cold weather please tell me how that is safe when the child is then cold or runs the risk of being cold when you have the door open messing with it all when the temp is -10 degrees. If the children are riding in the car and going to enter a building I leave the straps of the snow pants off the chest (if there were an accident then the plastic could poke into the child but it should not effect them to have their legs covered) I leave their coats on and adjust the straps to fit. You have to account for them sitting up a bit higher with snow pants so the straps should still fit correctly of the shoulder. The challenge is in the fall/spring when you are switching levels of clothes.
There is also the risk of over heating a child in a warm car for a long period of time so just make sure you are dressed as warmly as they are and don't keep the car too warm.
I say this, but whatever MOM SAYS is what you should go with because our family has had a big falling out because my MIL did not respect my parenting wish about something very important to me that she just didn't understand so she disregarded or slipped up on so I would make sure to do what mom wants even if it is a challenge.

I don't think it is illegal but it isn't the smartest thing to do as the straps do not get as snug as they should be due to the bulk of the material.

I can totally understand why the mom frowns on this practice. It's simply not the safest option.

I don't know how old your grandchild is but they make lighter weight type fleece one piece zippys with a hood . I liked the Carters ones but they only go up to 9 months I think. I found one at Macy's in a 12 month.They are great for fall and even winter when you need to pop them in and out of the car. You can use a blanket over them too as needed. Good luck!

I don't have time to read everyone's response so if I am repeating I appologize. It isn't against the law but the snow suits aren't safe. When we took my son home from the hospital we had brought a snowsuit with us to bundle him in. The hospital staff would not let us use it. They said the straps on the car seat need to go directly on to the baby's shoulders with out the restriction of the snowsuit. THey said with the snow suit on you are not able to get the straps tight enough so that if you were in an accident the straps could just slide off the baby's shoulders. insstead use a hat and blankets. for the time the baby is out side a blanket that is as thick asthe snow suit will keep them plenty warm.

Depends on how you interpret the law. The law states that a child must be properly restrained in an appropriate seat for their size and age, ie - a 2 year old can't be using a booster designed for ages 3+, a baby over 20lbs but under a year can't be forward facing - no seat on the market allows for this, etc. You have to use the seat according the manufacturer's instructions. If you look in the manual of any car seat you will see a statement which basically says not to dress the child in bulky clothing or place blankets between the child and harness as it interferes with the how well the straps fit. So therefore, using a winter coat would be improper use and technically illegal.

But, as pp said, it is just not safe. And baby would get hot too. Can you imagine wearing a snow suit driving around in the car? I know I did it with my oldest and the poor guy was sweaty a lot. But I lived and learned. A small baby only needs one more layer than an adult. Go for a nice thin polar fleece. We've gotten jackets/snowsuits from Old Navy for quite reasonable. If the baby is still in the infant seat, then a cover that goes over the top is ideal - bought one at Walmart for about $10-15 a couple years ago. And now that my carseat riders are a bit older, we use homemade car seat ponchos made of 2 layers of fleece. We have been wearing those for a couple years and they hold up to some fierce weather.

Here is a video that really illustrates the issue with snow suits and offers alternatives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1LJaOIu34

I don't think it is technically illegal but the issue is that the puff of the suit/coat will not enable you to properly tighten your child/infant into the seat so it is recommended that they do not wear a winter coat in the car seat for safety reasons.

Hello!

I don't know if there is a law or not. But, I have a friend who is a car seat technician. She told me that the car seats are NOT effective if you put the child in with his/her snowsuit. The suit does not allow you to tighten the seatbelt enough to keep the child safe in a crash. Last winter I had the kids take off there coats before buckling in and they each have a cuddle blanket they can use if the van has not warmed up yet. For the baby, we had a car seat cover that zipped up and left her face exposed.

I hope this helps.

I don't know about it being against the law but a fireman told me that my son shouldn't wear anything thicker than a sweater in his car seat during the winter months. the snow suit would make the car seat fit less snugly and he can actually come out of the car seat if in an accident.