Cadillac 2000 Catera Owner's Manual page 50

CAUTION:
Smaller children and babies should always be
restrained in a child or infant restraint. The
instructions for the restraint will say whether it
is 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 necessary because an infant's
neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared
with the rest of its body. In a frontal 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.
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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 available for the baby's first trip in
a motor vehicle.