I did some research on this topic a while back, because I was constantly hearing from other parents that car seats (especially infant ones) and swings were bad for baby… This is a synopsis of what I found:

The surprising outcome was that I found very little to validate the rumors, even after a lot of searching. I was unable to find anything supporting the rumor that too much time in the car seat/swing can effect spinal development. The only thing that I was able to find validated by a doctor was that the breathing of very young/premature babies can be affected when in car seats/swings.

Here's the technical info on BREATHING issues in very young/premature babies: Until the baby is able to hold its head up consistently, time in the car seat should be limited as much as possible. This is because when the head flops over or simply slouches down a bit, the airway is restricted or cut off, resulting in possible periods of no breathing (apnea), lower/slower heart rate, and lower levels of oxygen in the blood stream.

I must note that in the case of premature babies, the problems listed above often occur when the child is in a reclined position. Generally, the baby is monitored in the hospital before release to see it these are issues.

SO, the over-all outcome - peace of mind - I couldn't find any definitive evidence that car seats or swings are dangerous if a child spends too much time in one.

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