Encouraging Proper Use of Carseats

At Tadpoles & Butterflies, we believe that safe use of infant car seats is essential & to be encouraged. This means that they are only for use in cars.

One of the reasons that parents believe that it is safe to use their bucket style seats as "carriers" outside the vehicle is because there are countless aftermarket products that are designed to be used with the seat when it is out of the vehicle. We regularly receive sales pitches for products that encourage unsafe use of the seats. Here is a response to one of those products, a shower cap style topper that doubles as a diaper bag to store items.

"Thank you for your interest in our company. I am very concerned about
the safety implications of your product, which is why we do not carry
any products of the sort.
Infant carseats are intended only for use in vehicles. They carry many
risks when used outside the vehicle, including injuries & death from
hypoxia, positional asphyxia & from falls. Products such as the
_______________ encourage inappropriate use of the carseat as a storage
container for infants. In Canada, where we are located, winters can
last 6 months of the year & are extremely cold, while summers can be
especially hot. It is essential that the baby be carried close to the
parent's body where he can be protected from weather extremes.
I would encourage you to find a product to manufacture that facilitates
the biological norm of being carried on the mother's body, as opposed
to in a plastic shell."

Companies make these products because they believe parents will buy them- if consumers let them know why they will not purchase products that encourage unsafe behaviour, fewer will be made & the cycle will be stopped.