Transporting a newborn baby

Because children are so important to us, we have come up with some practical advice so that your child is well-protected right from its very first trip.

The car must always be equipped with a child restraint system

• Car seats are probably the most important safety measure for children. When travelling with newborn babies we should take into account the following recommendations:
• The child seat should be specifically designed for newborns and small babies, given that these can prevent up to 90% of serious or fatal injuries that can occur in a car accident. We should never travel with the child in our arms.
• We should have a child seat ready for the day that the mother gives birth. We recommend being particularly cautious about second-hand child seats, given that these might not be in perfect condition and may not be able to protect the child as well.
• Practice correctly installing the child seat before putting the child in it. The ISOFIX system is designed to avoid installation errors.
• Whether the trip is long or short, the newborn baby should always travel with a child restraint system appropriate for its weight and height.
•  The child should be rear-facing up to 15 months old (390 KB). At Fundación MAPFRE we recommend that children should continue to sit in rear-facing child seats until the age of four.
• The baby should not be seated in an upright position. A slightly reclined position halfway between lying flat and sitting up is the most recommendable.
• As the child grows, the child seat should be changed.
• It is compulsory for child seats to be fitted on the rear seats. The only exceptions are if the vehicle does not have rear seats, if the rear seats are already occupied by other children in child seats or if child seats cannot be placed on these.
• The safest seat is the middle seat (426 KB) as it is furthest away from the doors. However, ISOFIX anchors are usually fitted onto the two side seats. In this case it is best to place the child restraint system on the rear seat behind the front passenger seat, to have better access to the child and be able to see them.
• We should never place a child facing the rear in the passenger seat if the airbag cannot be disabled beforehand.

The child restraint system should be an approved model. The European ECE R44/04 and ECE R-129/03 standards are currently in force. This means that the child seat model has been subjected to certain safety tests before being put on sale.