Why do you fly with your infant on your lap if you can afford another seat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because the odds are very, very long. This study showed that over a 3 year period, with 7573 reported medical emergencies, 10 results in infant death. That's about 3-4 per year. And those are not necessarily due to lap children. That's all deaths including unrelated medical issues. How many children fly annually? According to the CDC, in 2016, there were 3965 deaths of children under age 5. The risks of infant death on an airplane are significantly lower than many other issues, including deaths in traffic accidents (even in car seats), number of deaths from infants left in a hot car, deaths from household accidents, deaths from guns, and so on. You realize that putting your child in a car seat and driving out of your driveway is hundreds of times more dangerous than carrying your child in your lap on a plane?

There are far, far greater risks in this world for parents to consider than this very, very unlikely situation, but you go ahead and spend your money for the rare chance that your child will be killed on an airplane because it didn't have a seat. I'm glad that you can afford to throw a few hundred dollars away on this over-cautious mentality, but I chose other safety options and concerns when my children (now 7) were small.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/study-lap-infants-at-increased-risk-of-death-on-airline-flights-080414.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/child-health.htm

It’s not mutually exclusive. I choose to do everything to make sure my child is safe, including purchasing a seat. I don’t care if there’s only a small chance of its being an issue.

You realize that by this logic, you shouldn’t be driving your kid or really leaving the house st all, right? I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I call BS on the “I choose to do everything to keep my child safe” thing. You do not. All these decisions are calculated risks.

You are making no sense. I choose to minimize the risk in the things we have to do. My kid will be in a rear facing car seat until she hits the weight limit for her seat’s rear facing setting. I choose to fly with her in the safest possible way. The answer isn’t to stop living, but there’s an option in between never going anywhere and knowingly putting your kid at greater risk—it’s called buying them a damn seat, which the AAP and FAA strongly recommend you do.

But it is never that simple. My guess is that given the miniscule risks involved, the risk of dropping the seat on the infant while transporing it, injuring the infant due to improperly installing the seta on the aircraft or injuring your back severely by carrying the seat, thereby compromising your infant's care for a while are greater than the decreased risk of using the car seat on the plane. it is comforting to feel smug, but sadly, rarely correct. Risk analysis is just way more nuanced than we'd like to believe.

This doesn't at all mean you should ignore essential safety improvements like car seats for cars, but when you are dealing with an 0.00001% risk improvement, the things you've neglected are almost always more important than the one you are considering.

- professional engineer and mom with common sense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

You took your kid to daycare even though you are home? How risky!!!

LOL!!

Hmm nice try, but no. Kids are undoubtedly perfectly safe in the care of high quality, professional caregivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a np.

I think op is drunk. Very odd behavior. Hopefully she gets help soon.

No, OP is sleep deprived. She was up all night posting at least every 2 hours from about 1am through noon. It still means she's a little off, but not because of alcohol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

You took your kid to daycare even though you are home? How risky!!!

LOL!!

Hmm nice try, but no. Kids are undoubtedly perfectly safe in the care of high quality, professional caregivers.

But you had to get the kid there! OMG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

You took your kid to daycare even though you are home? How risky!!!

LOL!!

Hmm nice try, but no. Kids are undoubtedly perfectly safe in the care of high quality, professional caregivers.

And yet you drove them there being sleep-deprived from not having slept through the night. You were responding at least every 2 hours throughout the night. Do you realize how much you significantly increased the risk of injuring your children while driving sleep-deprived? You should have been sleeping last night instead of reading and responding to DCUM if you were going to drive your kids to daycare. The risk you put your children in was probably 1000% higher than the risk of a lapchild on a flight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

You took your kid to daycare even though you are home? How risky!!!

LOL!!

Hmm nice try, but no. Kids are undoubtedly perfectly safe in the care of high quality, professional caregivers.

And yet you drove them there being sleep-deprived from not having slept through the night. You were responding at least every 2 hours throughout the night. Do you realize how much you significantly increased the risk of injuring your children while driving sleep-deprived? You should have been sleeping last night instead of reading and responding to DCUM if you were going to drive your kids to daycare. The risk you put your children in was probably 1000% higher than the risk of a lapchild on a flight.

I didn’t drive her, but thanks for the concern trolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

You took your kid to daycare even though you are home? How risky!!!

LOL!!

Hmm nice try, but no. Kids are undoubtedly perfectly safe in the care of high quality, professional caregivers.

And yet you drove them there being sleep-deprived from not having slept through the night. You were responding at least every 2 hours throughout the night. Do you realize how much you significantly increased the risk of injuring your children while driving sleep-deprived? You should have been sleeping last night instead of reading and responding to DCUM if you were going to drive your kids to daycare. The risk you put your children in was probably 1000% higher than the risk of a lapchild on a flight.

I didn’t drive her, but thanks for the concern trolling.

After 7 pages of this you are calling me the troll?

Pot calling the kettle black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

You took your kid to daycare even though you are home? How risky!!!

LOL!!

Hmm nice try, but no. Kids are undoubtedly perfectly safe in the care of high quality, professional caregivers.

And yet you drove them there being sleep-deprived from not having slept through the night. You were responding at least every 2 hours throughout the night. Do you realize how much you significantly increased the risk of injuring your children while driving sleep-deprived? You should have been sleeping last night instead of reading and responding to DCUM if you were going to drive your kids to daycare. The risk you put your children in was probably 1000% higher than the risk of a lapchild on a flight.

I didn’t drive her, but thanks for the concern trolling.

Somehow she got there. And instead of being safe at home, she was out in the big bad world traveling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

You took your kid to daycare even though you are home? How risky!!!

LOL!!

Hmm nice try, but no. Kids are undoubtedly perfectly safe in the care of high quality, professional caregivers.

And yet you drove them there being sleep-deprived from not having slept through the night. You were responding at least every 2 hours throughout the night. Do you realize how much you significantly increased the risk of injuring your children while driving sleep-deprived? You should have been sleeping last night instead of reading and responding to DCUM if you were going to drive your kids to daycare. The risk you put your children in was probably 1000% higher than the risk of a lapchild on a flight.

I didn’t drive her, but thanks for the concern trolling.

Somehow she got there. And instead of being safe at home, she was out in the big bad world traveling.

There are thunderstorms today. She could have been struck by lightening! Or washed away in a flash flood! WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

[Anonymous]

I love how you all think putting a kid in a car seat on a plane means I’m generally neurotic about her safety.

Talk about making assumptions.

I follow the FAA, AAP, and NTSB guidance. No one is saying not to send kids to daycare or ever drive them anywhere, so your logic really doesn’t stand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love how you all think putting a kid in a car seat on a plane means I’m generally neurotic about her safety.

Talk about making assumptions.

I follow the FAA, AAP, and NTSB guidance. No one is saying not to send kids to daycare or ever drive them anywhere, so your logic really doesn’t stand.

I don't blindly follow government agencies. I look to what they say, and do my own research, and go from there.

And I made the call to save the bucks since my husband was laid off and do a lap baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

This makes me think OP does have some serious issues. Now I feel bad for making fun of someone with some sort of intellectual/mental disability. Or at least a major lack of self awareness.

Alright, you all win. Everyone who buys a seat for their kid is neurotic. You all are eminently reasonable. Congrats.

Please. No one has said someone is neurotic for buying a seat. We've just pushed back on the idea you are a child abuser if you don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how you all think putting a kid in a car seat on a plane means I’m generally neurotic about her safety.

Talk about making assumptions.

I follow the FAA, AAP, and NTSB guidance. No one is saying not to send kids to daycare or ever drive them anywhere, so your logic really doesn’t stand.

I don't blindly follow government agencies. I look to what they say, and do my own research, and go from there.

And I made the call to save the bucks since my husband was laid off and do a lap baby.

I looked at their recommendations too and their guidance was quite clear. In your situation, it was tougher to afford the extra seat. In my post, I specified that I was talking about people who could afford the extra seat and simply chose to not buy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

This makes me think OP does have some serious issues. Now I feel bad for making fun of someone with some sort of intellectual/mental disability. Or at least a major lack of self awareness.

Alright, you all win. Everyone who buys a seat for their kid is neurotic. You all are eminently reasonable. Congrats.

Please. No one has said someone is neurotic for buying a seat. We've just pushed back on the idea you are a child abuser if you don't.

Did I ever say child abuser? No. Did I say it’s the riskier choice? Yes, because it clearly is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet you all continue to answer. So I’d say you’re just as fixated on this thread as I am.

I for one am fixated on what a nut you are. I'll give you that.

Besides, it's slow here at work, and I love a good trainwreck.

And I’m home today waiting for contractors to come. Kid is at daycare. So I’m killing time watching you all get all worked up trying to defend your choices that go against all expert guidance.

So if the “expert guidance” is the be all end all to this decision, why not change the law? Sure the airlines would lose some customers but I suspect a lot would still go ahead and fly rather than do some crazy long car ride with an infant.

We did not fly a lot when DS was little but I was another in the “nursing during takeoff and landing” camp. Once we were done with that and he was more mobile we got him his own seat even though he was still under 2. It’s all about assessing risks and trade offs.