The car can be a blessed relief for many parents seeking to soothe their wailing child. It’s almost unheard of to find a baby or toddler that doesn’t fall asleep quickly thanks to the white-noise benefit of tires on the road.

But is it safe for your child to fall asleep in a car seat? Researchers say no.

Pediatrics, a renowned journal, published information on a study that stated car seats force infants into an upright position that encourage chest wall compression, which could reduce oxygen levels in the blood. About 20% of newborns show mild respiratory compromise.

Those are scary words. And researchers are recommending car seat design changes to manufacturers that would prevent chest compression risk.

Until then, though, parents have to deal with the situation as best they can. And dealing as best we can doesn’t mean we should all rush out and stop using car seats for our infants. Car travel safety is a must.

But what this does mean is that parents need to be proactive about minimizing car seat use for sleeping infants. Car seats can be incredibly convenient to parents who can simply unclip the seat, remove it and bring it indoors without disturbing their child. They go on with their busy day and remove the child from the car seat carrier later on after the infant wakes or needs to be fed.

It’s not worth the risk for a bit of convenience. Remove a sleeping infant from the car seat when you arrive at your destination, and don’t use the car seat carrier within the house in place of safer options.

It may not be as handy or convenient for you as a parent, but your infant will be better able to breath and enjoy the proper oxygen levels required for good health.