1998 Chevrolet Venture Owner's Manual - Page 82

Smaller childrenand babies should always be restrained in a child or infant restraint. The instructions for the restraint will say whether itis the right type and size for your child.A very young child's hip bones are so small that a regular belt might not stay low on the hips, as it should. Instead, the belt will likely be over the 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 necessarybecause 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 forces can 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 is so important that many hospitals today won't release a newborn infant to its parents unless there is an infant restraint availablefor the baby's first trip in a motor vehicle.