Mom issues warning to parents after infant ejected from car seat during crash
A Georgia mother has a warning for other parents after her infant daughter was ejected from her car seat during a crash.
Hannah McKinney, of Henry County, that her 2-month-old daughter Robin was ejected from her car seat during a rollover crash, despite being tightly strapped in.
reports Robin was thrown to the back of the van and suffered a hairline fracture to her arm.
McKinney told believes the sheepskin belt covers added to the car seat to make it more comfortable are to blame.
“With the force of the vehicle, the sheepskin slid against her shirt and made her go flying out. Please, please, please, please DO NOT put things on a car seat that did not come that way from the manufacturer,” she said. “Plus, anything on a car seat in an accident voids the warranty.”
Johanna Martinez, a child passenger safety specialist, said there are some car seat accessories parents should avoid.
“You never want to add anything to a car seat that doesn’t come with it. It’s not crash tested with the car seat,” Martinez said.
In the video above, she demonstrates how strap covers can cause problems with the function of the car seat.
“People think because they’re being sold they’re safe to use,” Martinez said.
Unless approved by the manufacturer, experts advise avoiding any accessories sold to be used with car seats. Even a head pillow for the baby can be harmful.
Martinez adds parents should never put their baby in a car seat wearing a bulky coat or jacket.