1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue Owner's Manual - Page 43

Smaller children and babies should always be restrained in a child or infant restraint.The instructions forthe restraint will say whether it is the right type and size for your child. A very young child's bones are so small that a hip regular belt might not stay low on the hips, as it should. Instead, the belt will likely over the be child's abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply force right on the child's abdomen, which could cause serious or fatal injuries. So, be sure that any child small enough for one is always properly restrained in a child or infant restraint. Infants need complete support, including support for the head and neck. This is necessary because an infant's neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing restraint settles into the restraint, so the crash forcescan be distributed across the strongest part of the infant's body, the back and shoulders. A baby should be secured in an appropriate infant restraint. This isso important that many hospitals today won't release a newborn infant to its parents unless there is an infant restraint available for baby's first trip in the a motor vehicle. 1-35