INDIANAPOLIS— Safety, when it comes to car seats, is a priority for many parents. The seat not only needs to fit the child, but it also needs to fit the car. A new study, however, shows that this isn’t always the case.

The Ohio State University College of Medicine tested near 3,600 different combinations of car seats and vehicles and found that almost half had compatibility issues.

“The angle that a rear-facing child restraint is manufactured to sit at doesn’t always match up with the seat pan angle of the vehicle,” said Julie Bing, the research engineer who led the study at Ohio State. “That recline angle is very important because a newborn baby, for example, needs to be reclined far enough to keep its head upright.”

Before shopping for a car seat, Sharilyn Wagner, a car safety expert for Franciscan St. Francis Health, suggests measuring the back seat and comparing the dimensions with different brands of car seats.  Some parents often find ways to make the seat fit, by using items like a rolled towel or blanket, but Bing warned that improper alignment creates risks.

You can learn more about the study here.

Source: http://www.wthr.com/story/29929470/is-your-childs-car-seat-the-right-fit-for-your-car