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Page 1 of 6 Why should you use a car seat on an airplane? The airlines don't require that you even buy a seat for a baby under 2! Safety Here's a typical scenario. You're flying somewhere with your kids. You're already bringing a stroller, a portable crib, suitcases, toys, a diaper bag, and one or more children. Many parents are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff kids require and the first items to get left home are often--you guessed it!-- the car seats. This shouldn't be the case! Kids are vastly better protected if they use a child safety seat on the plane.  Simply put, it's much safer for a child to ride in a child safety seat on an airplane. You aren't allowed to hold a coffee cup during takeoff and landing. All bags must be stowed. This is because anything not secured is liable to fly around if a problem were to occur duing takeoff and landing. Children in a car seat are securely fastened to the airplane seat--just like everyone and everything else in the airplane cabin. Doesn't your child deserve the same protection as you--or your suitcase?What would happen to your child during an aborted takeoff, when you're traveling down the runway at 120 mph and then suddenly stop? What would happen during sudden turbulence? In these situations, you will not be able to hold on to your child tightly enough to keep him safe--the G-forces are simply too strong. Flight attendant Jan Lohr recounts a flight "when sudden and severe turbulence caused two lap children to be hospitalized. They had sustained injuries when they flew over a dozen rows and landed near a bulkhead. Garment bags in an overhead closet subsequently fell on the infants." While working as a flight attendant, Ms. Lohr survived a plane crash caused by an engine explosion that severed all the hydraulic lines on a flight from Denver to Chicago. She recounts what happened to 22-month old Evan, a lap-child who did not survive the impact, in a statement for the NTSB Advocacy Briefing on Child Restraints on Aircraft. If you think that a car seat won't protect your child in a crash, think again! Some crashes are survivable. In 2007, a 3-year old was the only survivor of a horrible plane crash - rescuers found her hanging upside down in her car seat in the rubble of the aircraft with only minor injuries. Professional and Industry Recommendations The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids ride in child safety seats on airplanes, based on studies which show preventable deaths and injuries have occurred in lap children: "Occupant protection policies for children younger than 2 years on aircraft are inconsistent with all other national policies on safe transportation. Children younger than 2 years are not required to be restrained or secured on aircraft during takeoff, landing, and conditions of turbulence. They are permitted to be held on the lap of an adult. Preventable injuries and deaths have occurred in children younger than 2 years who were unrestrained in aircraft during survivable crashes and conditions of turbulence. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a mandatory federal requirement for restraint use for children on aircraft. The Academy further recommends that parents ensure that a seat is available for all children during aircraft transport and follow current recommendations for restraint use for all children. Physicians play a significant role in counseling families, advocating for public policy mandates, and encouraging technologic research that will improve protection of children in aircraft." The FAA also recommends that children sit in child safety seats or devices during air travel: "Did you know the safest place for your little one during turbulence or an emergency is in an approved child restraint system (CRS) or device, not on your lap?...FAA strongly urges parents and guardians to secure children in an appropriate restraint based on weight and size. Keeping a child in a CRS or device during the flight is the smart and right thing to do." The NTSB recommends that children sit in child safety seats or devices during air travel. "...adults may not be able to maintain a secure hold on a lap-held child during turbulence and survivable accidents. Preventable deaths and injuries have occurred in children under 2 who were unrestrained....For over 30 years, the NTSB has investigated aircraft accidents involving unrestrained children and has issued safety recommendations asking the FAA to require that children under 2 be in an appropriately secured child restraint in their own seat." Why are you not required to purchase a seat for your child under 2?  She slept the WHOLE way!! And this is a child who doesn't sleep. Ever. Taking along a car seat can seem like a big hassle, but think about it carefully. Do you really want to hold your squirmy 10 month old for 5 hours? We've traveled with kids and car seats and wouldn't do it any other way simply from a comfort and convenience perspective!
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