For their safety, advice is that all babies and infants are carried in securely fitted rear-facing car seats. This is just the same for an infant with SMA. As children get heavier and taller, a suitable front-facing car seat may be appropriate for children who do not need to lie flat.

Car seating clinics are available in some areas – ask your physio / OT. Some suppliers have showrooms where you can try your child in different models. Some will give you a home demonstration.

Your physio or OT may refer you to a Regional Driving Assessment Centre (RDAC) which will work closely with a child’s therapist to offer advice on car seats. You can find details of this service and where the centres are on the RDAC website.

The In Car Safety Centre can be contacted for information about different models of car seats. You can view a variety of seats at their showrooms in Milton Keynes, Belfast or Essex.

If the car seat you are considering is only available online and therefore not possible for you to view or try with your child, it is sometimes possible to view short demonstration videos on YouTube – try typing the name of the car seat into the search bar.

RoSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents) gives advice about safe fitting and positioning of car seats. The In Car Safety Centre  also has advice.

Manufacturers provide detailed information for each of their seats about height and weight limits and how the seat can be positioned.

Some seats may need to be secured across the back seat. You will need to take this into account if you have other children that need to travel at the same time.

The car seat supplier or manufacturer should be able to check whether a seat will fit in your make / model of car and if any extra fixings are needed.

If your child needs to recline or lie flat to breathe comfortably, a standard car seat may be too upright for them. A car seat with multiple recline positions, including the option to lie-flat, will offer the most flexible seating. This may be the only way they can travel safely and comfortably. They may also need additional head and neck support – see Looking After Your Child Who Has SMA Type 1, sections: ‘Safe and Comfortable Positions’ and ‘Getting Out and About – Car Travel’ .

For information on car seats that may be suitable for your child, speak to your occupational therapist (OT) or physio. SMA UK may also be able to help.

Please be aware that some manufacturers advertise car seats as lie-flat when they cannot in fact completely lie flat when being used for travelling. Always check with your OT or physio which brands will be best for your child.

Car seats with a lie-flat facility are generally designed to carry younger children who are both lighter and shorter, so you may find your child outgrows their seat. It can then be challenging to find a car restraint that is both safe and comfortable for an older bigger child.

Sometimes a specialist lie-flat buggy that will go directly into a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) is an option for older children.

For more information, see sections on:

• Buggies
• Car Travel – WAVs

The In Car Safety Centre can be contacted for information about different models of car seats You can view a variety of seats at their showrooms in Milton Keynes, Belfast or Essex. This includes an option called E-Z-On Harness  Some families who have a car with enough room across the back seat use this.

The NHS does not fund car seats.

You may want to apply for help to buy your car seat. Support and Outreach at SMA UK can suggest charities that may provide a grant. Most charities will not fund anything you have bought already. It is important not to place your order or pay any deposit until you have all your funding ready or pledged.

Most charities will need:

• a letter from your OT / physio to say that the car seat you have chosen is suitable, safe and meets your child’s needs and that the NHS does not fund car seats
• your quote from the supplier detailing costs, including any extra accessories and delivery. Check with your supplier about any VAT.

You can find related information in the Funding for Equipment section on this page.