Child passenger safety

Advocate Children's Hospital is dedicated to the safety of all children entering and leaving our doors.

To make sure they’re traveling safely, we have certified car seat technicians available to evaluate your needs and instruct on proper car seat installation – at no cost to you.

Need to have your car seat checked? Are you looking for the right type of seat for your child? We’re here for you with locations across the Chicago metro area.

Make an appointment

708-684-7019

View or print our flyer in English, Spanish, Arabic or Polish.

Car seats for children with special needs

Most car seats on the market are made for kids who are of standard weight and height with no other complications. So what should parents do when their child is born prematurely and is of a lower birth weight? Or what if the child has special orthopedic casting or braces that don't fit in a conventional car seat?

There are specific car seats that address special health care considerations; however, they cannot be found at local retail stores.

We can help
No matter what the condition or circumstance, it’s important that your child's needs are evaluated by a certified car seat technician with special needs endorsement.

Our team includes these specialists and they are here to help you find the right restraint to keep your child and their special needs in mind so they can safely travel in a car.

Call 708-684-7019 for more information.

Benefits of using the right safety restraint

Thousands of children are seriously injured and hundreds die annually as a result of being improperly restrained in a car seat.

The numbers below tell the crucial roll car seats play in child safety:

• Using a car seat can reduce the risk of death in infants under 1 by 71% and toddlers ages 1 to 4 by 54%
• Booster seats can reduce the risk of serious injury in children ages 4 to 8 by 45% compared to using a seat belt alone
• The use of a seat belt in older children and adults can reduce the risk of death by almost half

Selecting the right car seat or restraint

When it’s time to buy a car seat of restraint, keep in mind the following guidelines when determining which safety restraint (car seat, booster seat or seat belt) is right for your child:

Car seats

• Rear-facing seats: According to Illinois state law, children under the age of 2 years should be in a rear-facing seat. Rear-facing car seats provide the best protection to a child's neck and spinal cord in the event of a crash.
• Infant-only seats: These convenient seats come with a carrier that snaps in-and-out of a base that is installed in the vehicle. Most children outgrow these types of seats by 8 or 9 months. Always compare the manufacturer's weight limit with your child's weight.
• Convertible seats: Due to the extra security rear-facing seats provide, it is best to keep your child in that position for as long as possible. Convertible seats, which switch from rear-facing to forward-facing, have higher height and weight limits, allowing your child to face the rear for as long as possible. Please refer to the car seat manufacturer's manual for the allowable height and weight limits of these seats.
• Forward-facing seats: Though it is best to keep a child in the rear-facing position for as long as their weight and height allow, forward-facing car seats are a safe option for the next stage of car seat safety. These car seats keep your child secure with a five-point harness and top tether. Forward-facing car seats provide a safe transition for children as they get closer to being ready for the booster seat.

Booster seats

Booster seats are an elevation tool, used to position a child so that a seat belt protects them properly. These seats, when correctly installed and fitted, force the lower strap of a seat belt to lie across the thighs and keep the neck strap on the child's torso instead of in their face.

It’s best to keep a child in a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness for as long as the child does not exceed the manufacturer's weight and height limits. Booster seats are a great option as your child gets closer to being seat belt ready.

All-in-one seats are worth considering because they can switch from rear-facing to forward-facing to booster seat as your child grows. This can eliminate improper fits as a child approaches manufacturer limits and a new seat has yet to be purchased.

Seat belts

Once your child has grown enough for a seat belt to fit appropriately, they can stop using car seats.

A properly fitting seat belt lies across the top of the thighs, not the stomach, and the crosspiece lays against the chest and shoulders, not the face or neck.

While some children start using seat belts at age 8, others stay in booster seats until age 12. The determining factors are a child's weight and height and how they compare to a booster seat's limits.

Regardless of what age a child starts to use seat belts, they should sit in back seats of cars until the age of 13 to keep them safe.

Learn how to properly install a car or booster seat in these how-to videos.

Safety tips

It's easy to imagine a squirming baby or child managing to extricate themselves from their child restraints. Especially when you’re busy driving.

We’ve got some tips to help you make sure your child stays safely in their seat.

• Have a responsible passenger or adult sit in the back seat with your child.
• Keep child locks engaged on doors and windows.
• Make sure that your child’s car seat harness is properly secured and positioned. Most times, if the harness is too loose or the chest clip is not in the proper location, your child can maneuver their way out of the car seat harness.
• Provide behavioral reinforcement and, if possible, talk about safety goals with your child while riding in the car.
• Consult our certified car seat technicians to have your child’s car seat installation inspected. Discuss any issues with the technician as additional recommendations may be available.
• If your child does escape their restraint while your car is in motion, pull over to address the issue.