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Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children has put together a flyer alerting parents to safety issues relating to children wearing coats while in car seats.

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While it’s important to keep children warm during the winter, PA Promise for Children notes, young children should not wear puffy coats or snowsuits when they are in car seats. 

Coats and snowsuits can compress under the harness of a car seat, often as much as four inches. As a result, a child’s car seat straps might not fit properly. Sleeping bags for babies can also be unsafe for car seats as they might add extra slack under the harness.

How to Keep Warm and Safe

PA Promise for Children has provided several ways in which babies and young children can be kept warm and safe in their car seat when it’s cold. These include:

• Dress a baby or child in snug layers, such as onesies and leggings
• Add long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, a hat, shoes, and socks
• Children can wear a jacket as long as it’s not too puffy
• For babies, use covers specifically for car seats that are designed to provide warmth and approved by the car-seat manufacturer.
• For older babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners, secure them in the car seat and then turn their coat around and put it on backwards (arms through the armholes), so the coat is on top of the harness. Or, use a blanket in the car.

For more information or to watch a video with tips for keeping children safe and warm in their car seat, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.