Carseat for babies under 4lbs

Kristen, NICU RN · Nov 16, 2013

We use a car "bed" for the teeny SGA babies under 4lbs. They seem to work well! I am not sure of the brand.

jnick31 · Nov 17, 2013

That's what I thought we would do too, but the Neo told the parents he didn't want to use a bed and for them to get a corificeat instead. He passed his corificeat test in the one that they bought but it seems they would be rated for 5lbs and up for a reason, I fear that if something were to happen in then next month or so (until he reaches 5lbs) liability would fall back on the hospital for sure. I was just wondering for when this comes up in the future if anyone knew of any seats that fit a baby that was 3lbs and some change.

rnkaytee · Nov 17, 2013

If you google "car seats under 5 pounds" there's a good link to saferides.org and there's 2 Britaxes and 1 Chicco listed for 4-22 pounds. We have the parents sign a waiver stating that even though we've checked the fit, they use their car seat at their own risk.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Nov 17, 2013

Did the baby pass it's "car seat challenge"? Most babies that small go in a car bed

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Nov 17, 2013

The only time we used a carbed was for conjoined twins. If he passed his car seat challenge and fits snugly in there, there shouldn't be a problem.

Also carbeds are not cheap and for the little they may use it, it may be cost prohibitive, at least in our population it would be. We don't have the parents sign a waiver, but we are not allowed to mess with the straps or put the baby in for the home trip.

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Nov 18, 2013

my twins (both under 5 lbs at birth and came home with me) were in regular Graco infant carriers.

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Nov 19, 2013

I don't know the answer to your question, but I was googling for info on Recaro Performance Seats that come in a Camaro Im considering buying, and chuckled when I found that most of the links were about baby seats made by the same company.

katierobin23 · Nov 21, 2013

I had a long response typed out, but it wouldn't send.

In short, graco click connects and chicco keyfit are the best fit for littles that I see. The Combi shuttle is one that I know off hand that does not have a minimum weight, and I've heard that it fits well but I've never gotten to play with one.

My hospital doesn't pay any sort of attention to weight limits, if the baby passes the car seat test then he/she can go home in it, period. We have car beds in house that the parents can buy if they fail the test.

I wish there was more education for nurses...I've seen some set up a baby in a seat with the straps all the way up and the base not reclined at all, and if the parents don't know better, that's how they'll use it after discharge. Makes me cringe. I had the dad of multiples bring in the baby that had gone home first and was so thankful that I had noticed the straps and helped him fix them, he was worried he would have to replace all of the seats because the baby just didn't seem to fit, and that was a Keyfit that fits like a dream.

...that was a bit of a tangent hehe sorry.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Nov 21, 2013

We have a mandatory video they have to watch prior to discharge. We can make suggestions to them such as to move straps and such but we are not allowed to touch anything related to the straps. We also refer them to the firehouse up the street from the hospital to get the base put in correctly.

Parents are afraid to pull those straps tight, they think they are squishing the kid.