Did you know that September is Baby Safety Month? Like most of these "awareness months", it should be baby safety day every day. But that being said, it is a great time of year to remind families of key safety issues.

This year, the "official" focus is on car seat safety. It's a great year to focus on this category for a number of reasons. One reason this interests me is that for the first time since Kelly was born (6+ years ago), there are many more options on the market including the out-of-this-world Orbit seat and the latching Clek booster seat.

I personally am a huge fan of the convertible car seats that go from 5 pounds to 40-80 pounds. Thinking green? There is nothing more green than buying one car seat, instead of two.

My brand of choice for baby is Britax. I have to confess  I used an infant car seat for the first few months with both of my kids, and now regret it. The convenience was clear, but I do have concerns about the effects of 'baby in a bucket' (keeping your baby in a prone position instead of laid flat, which some say limits oxygen saturation).

Now that we are in the 'big kid' phase with Kelly, we have been really enjoying our Clek car seat. It clicks in with ease and has a much more comfortable seat (foam instead of a thin cover on hard plastic) that Kelly loves.

NOTE: Many states require booster seats at least to the age of 8 years old, depending on height. The age limits seem to be going up, so relying on your friends' advice might not be good enough. Here is an NHTSA link on booster seats: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/ParentGuide2005/index.htm

If you are looking for more information on baby safety, here are a few other links that I think you'll find helpful:

JPMA September 08 Release on Baby Safety Month

NHTSA Car seat Safety Tips

CPSC Household Safety