Taking your baby for a bicycle ride, although a fun activity, should have a lot of safety precautions. Aside from putting a helmet on the baby's head, parents should also think about the safety concerning the baby bike seat (an attachment to the bicycle behind or in front of your seat) or a bike trailer (a small cart with wheels that the bicycle pulls from behind).

Here are some questions parents should be able to answer with confidence when dealing with the problem of putting the baby in a bike seat or trailer.

Is the baby at the right age? - Experts say the baby can ride a bike seat or trailer starting at least 12 months old. However, others say that parents should wait for another year before the baby is ready for a bike seat or trailer, when the child would not be "too fragile" in case of a crash. It is never advisable to put a baby below 12 months old on a bike seat or trailer, as it is illegal in some places.

Can the baby sit upright on a chair? - Before putting the baby on a bike seat or trailer, make sure he or she must be able to sit up steadily. If the baby tends to tumble or slip while seated, maybe it is better to hold that plan of putting him or her in a bike seat for a while.

Which bike seat is safe? - Bike seats come in two types: one that can be mounted at the front part of the bike, and another that is attached at the rear. Experts say that the front-mounted bike seats are safer because these let parents look after the baby while pedaling and let them fall with the child on them in case of a crash.

However, many parents find front-mounted bike seat obstructing. Rear-mounted bike seats may solve the obstruction issue, but these make the bicycle unbalanced and put the baby at risk of having their brain shaken and other internal injuries.

Should we opt for a bike trailer instead? - Bike trailers are attached to the bicycle like a wagon and are more expensive than bike seats. Despite of this, baby safety experts say that these are much safer since it is lower to the ground and would not cause much injury to the baby in case of a fall. It is also more convenient for single parents because it only takes one person to put a baby on a trailer compared to two people doing the same thing on a bike seat (one holding the bike, the other holding the baby).

However, just because bike trailers are considered safer does not mean it is accident-free. There were reports of bike trailers getting hit by incoming cars because trailers are so low to the ground that drivers do not see them. Also, trailers have a rare tendency to tilt, put the baby at risk of "shaken baby syndrome" because of the vibrations during travel, and tend to "collect" gravel and dust thrown by bike wheels.

Is your baby safe from "shaken baby syndrome"? - Shaken baby syndrome is a form of injury caused by deliberate or non-deliberate shaking of the baby. It is a major form of fatality among infants and can produce lifelong disabilities especially neurological damage.

Parents do not have much problem if the baby is placed on a front-mounted bike seat, while a lot of precautions should be done if the baby is to be placed on a bike trailer. The child's head should be wedged on both sides with padding, as well as putting a pillow behind the baby to provide clearance in case of a sudden brake.