Home > Going home from the neonatal unit > Preparing to go home > Travelling home from the neonatal unit

It is important to have a car seat for your baby, even if the only car journey you are going to make is from the hospital to home.

By UK law, all children up to the age of 12 must travel in a car seat. If you do not own a car, you should borrow or hire a car seat when taking your baby home from the neonatal unit by car or taxi. You can ask if there is a local loan scheme available. Units are unable to loan car seats, but social services at your local council can provide one.

What car seat should I use?

Unit staff cannot recommend specific brands or models of car seat you should buy. Car seat manufacturers often recommend that babies born premature or sick or with a low-birth weight should get a car seat suited to their individual needs. It is important to work with a healthcare professional at the unit to decide what type of car seat might be best.

There aren’t specific inserts that are for premature and low-birth weight babies. Do not buy separate inserts that have not come with your car seat, as these may not meet safety regulations.

Car seat safety

To make sure your baby is safe in a car seat, it is important that you do the following things:

  • Practice fitting the seat into your car first. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) have some guidance on how to fit the seat into your car safely. Unit staff are unable to help you fit the seat into your car. Some retailers will be able to help with a car seat fitting demonstration.
  • Only use a rear-facing car seat unless you have been told otherwise by a healthcare professional.
  • Never use a car seat in the front seat of the car if an active passenger seat airbag is fitted.
  • Do not buy or use a second-hand car seat unless you are certain about its history.
  • Never leave your baby alone in the car seat. It might be a good idea to ask a friend or family member to sit with your baby in the back of the car or ask them to drive so you can sit in the back of the car with your baby.
  • Only use the seat in the car.
  • Recline the seat as much as possible when in the car (carefully following the manufacturer’s instructions).
  • Do not use padded coats when your baby is in the car seat. This can prevent your baby from being secure in the car seat.
  • Practice loosening and tightening the straps of your car seat as this function may be different to any seat you have used previously.
  • Keep car journeys short for the first few months, if possible, ideally no longer than 30 minutes. If you need to travel for longer, you should take regular breaks where the baby is taken out of the seat.

RoSPA's website has more information about general car seat safety.

The Lullaby Trust has further information about car seats and SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

It was only ten days, but the days seem never-ending, clinging on for any piece of hope - we were discharged, and we began our journey as a family of four.

Megan, mum to Phoebe, born at 39 weeks

Travelling with medical equipment

If your baby is going home on oxygen, they will have heavy medical equipment which will also need to go in the car. Research from RoSPA says that any equipment can be put on the floor wedged with pillows, foam, or blankets. In some cars, this can interfere with airbag sensors, so it is important to check the car manual before you store any medical equipment under the seat.

Travel and parking costs

You may be able to get a Blue Badge for your baby if they have a specific medical condition. This could help you to be able to park closer to your destination. If your neonatal unit has a social worker, they may be able to give you more information about this. Unit staff and health visitors can also help with this process. The UK Government website has more information about the Blue Badge scheme that you may find helpful.