Letting baby nap in car seat can be dangerous

Parents, take note! Placing infants in car seats and other sitting devices for naps may endanger their lives, scientists say.
A new study examined 47 cases of children under 2 years old who died while in a device that was designed for them to sit in, or in which they could be carried.
Two thirds of the cases involved car seats, whereas the remaining deaths occurred in slings, swings, bouncers and strollers.
In many cases in the study, the researchers found that the child had been placed in the device to fall asleep, 'LiveScience' reported.
In the vast majority of deaths in the study, the child either strangled, or died because they could not get enough air due to the way their body was positioned.

"Many parents use sitting or carrying devices, not realising that there are hazards when they do this," said study author Dr Erich K Batra, of Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center.

"Infants and young children should not be left unsupervised when using a sitting or carrying device due to the risk of suffocation and death," said Batra.
The authors advise that when using infant sitting or carrying devices parents should not leave children unsupervised whether they are awake or asleep.
Parents should never leave children in a car seat with unbuckled or partially buckled straps and car seats should never be placed on a soft or unstable surface.