**The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated their recommendations since this blog published in 2010. Children should ride in rear-facing car seats until they reach the height or weight limit provided by the car seat manufacturer. This is likely well past age 2. To view the new guidelines and data, click here.**
2 is the new1.
This is kind of like, “brown is the new black.” But different and more important.
Two is the new one. When you’re a toddler. And when you’re at least 20 pounds.
And you’re in the car.
Let me explain. This is important for a number of reasons. One, not a lot of people (even pediatricians) know this yet because new data hasn’t been incorporated into policy statements. And two, it could save lives. Three and four: it could save lives.
Listen up and tell your friends. Scream from the rooftops.There is good news and bad news to this story. The bad news first, of course…you’re not going to be advised to turn your little one-year-old forward facing in the 5-point car seat until they are two years of age. Yes, yes, I know, you did that with your other child. So did I. I didn’t know any better. We evolve, science moves forward, new findings surface. And we now realize facing-forward is a no-good-right-of-passage for a 1 year old.
Keep your 1 year old rear-facing. Or go into your car and turn that seat back around. Then pass go. Believe me. Let go of that dream of doing air high fives in the rear-view mirror with your 18 month old.
Your small little love is 75% less likely to die or incur a serious injury if rear-facing when riding the car.
Gasp.
A commentary published earlier this year by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends that all children under age 2 years be in a rear-facing car seat. Even if their legs hit the back of the seat. The rationale: children are five times safer in rear-facing seats in this age group. Dr Marilyn Bull reviewed studies completed by her team of researchers and the AAP recommendations. She says that in kids we rarely, if ever, see spine injuries in children in rear-facing car seats. She continued, “We will see head injuries or we will see a few other injuries, but the vast majority of serious injuries occur when children are forward facing.” To form these opinions, she used data from a study that evaluated US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration vehicle crash database in children under age two from 1988 to 2003.
Here’s the good news: Your beloved little babe is five times safer in a car crash while riding rear-facing when between 12-24 months than if you flipped them forward facing. Say that with me, “five times safer.”
5 times safer. 75% less likely to die or have a serious injury.
Turn your baby around. This is one of those rare, no brainers. There aren’t many of those out there any more.
Funny thing is if you look on the AAP website today or other car seat safety web sites, it may be hard to find this information. Although hard to find, it doesn’t make it any less true. Policies and car seat manufacturers are catching up. Dr. Beth Ebel, a pediatrician and safety expert says that the AAP is looking into this and hopes to have new, revised recommendations in the coming months that incorporate these new findings.
The beauty of science and research is that it changes current recommendations. Making things confusing, of course, but ultimately better. And hopefully safer for all of us. Frankly, we’d all be safer if we were riding backwards in the car in an impact at high speed. Not entirely practical to redesign the auto at this juncture but we can improve the way we protect kids.
Some science and rationale:
- When you stop quickly or are involved in an impact, your body continues to fly forward at the velocity the car was going. This sounds likes a 8th grade math word problem; it isn’t. Infants and toddlers have disproportionately big heads for their necks and bodies (read: bobbleheads) so as the car slows, their heads and and upper neck continue to move forward rapidly while the straps of the car seat hold their body in place. This motion puts them at risk for cervical spine and severe neck injuries.
- When rear facing, the head, neck and entire body can absorb the impact at once. This rear-facing position can prevent neck injuries leading to paralysis or even death.
So, we were wrong saying it was okay to turn your baby around when your baby was 20 pounds and a year old.
2 (years) really is the new 1 (year). See?
Spread the word. You may just save someone’s life. Now that’s a nice little something to check off your to-do list today.
Do This Now:
- Get a car seat safety check if you have any concerns about how you installed the car seat or booster your child rides in. Many injuries in children are related to not using the car seat correctly.
- Make sure you and any one who drives with your children uses the 5 point restraint correctly! In Seattle, you can come here for help.
- Inform yourself about how to use your car seat. Watch this video
- Keep your 12-24 month old rear-facing until at least their 2nd birthday if not over the weight based restrictions of the seat. Most seats accommodate up to 35 pounds rear-facing.
- Talk to your pediatrician if you have questions or leave a comment below.
Claire says
FIVE TIMES!!!! I have been yelling this one from rooftops since I heard it. Thanks for getting the word out and explaining some of the “Whys” that go with this recommendation. Say no more, I am convinced. We are hoping to snatch up a new car seat for this next rear-facing stage in the New Years sales soon. On a related note, I heard a piece on NPR in the not so distant past about some research on car seat safety in SuperFreakonomics that calls into question the ability of car seats to prevent injury. It did not say that we should stop using car seats….there was more to the story, and I do not remember enough to do it justice here. I am just putting it out there as a related new take on car seats and safety that might merit some thought and interpretation. Thanks again!
Arvid says
Regarding Steven Levitt’s research about car seats, you can read about it here: https://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/what-the-secretary-of-transportation-has-to-say-about-my-car-seat-research/
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
One of my jobs as a mother and a pediatrician is to ensure that my patients thrive, not just survive. One of the issues with Levitt’s conclusions is the outcome used, i.e. death. If you only evaluate death as the problem in accidents, you miss incorporating the benefit car seats & booster seats have for preventing injuries. There is good data that booster seats reduce injury in kids: A study of children in 15 states looked at kids aged 4 to 7 years in crashes and found that the odds of an injury for children was 59% less if kids were in booster seats than if they were in a seat belt. Children in belt-positioning booster seats had no injuries to the tummy, neck, and legs while kids in seat belts had injuries to all body regions. Durbin DR, Elliott MR, Winston FK. Belt-positioning booster seats and reduction in risk of injury among children in vehicle crashes. JAMA. 2003 Jun 4;289(21):2835-40
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Also, In a comprehensive review in 2006, (Elliott MR, Kallan MJ, Durbin DR, Winston FK. Effectiveness of child safety seats vs seat belts in reducing risk for death in children in passenger vehicle crashes. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Jun 2006;160(6):617-621), researches evaluated Levitt’s claims. They found that when compared to seat belts alone, car seats were associated with a 28% reduction in risk for death in children age 2 to 6 when used without serious misuse (not attaching it, putting 2 kids in one seat, etc). Car seats/booster seats are designed to reduce risk for ejection, better distribute the load of the crash through strong bones rather than soft tissue, limit the crash forces and possibly limit the way the child may hit vehicle structures. They find when parents use car seat/booster seats in kids age 2 to 6 years of age, they found a 21% reduction in mortality risk when compared with children in seat belts.
troy says
Being such a supporter of rear facing seats as you are….can you cite any evidence that its healthy for a new borne – two year old to be separated from their parent..in a way that provides no eye contact or physical contact…It is my belief that riding in the back seat of a car..facing backwards..has deep psychological impacts that we have no clue of understanding….It reminds me of putting your child in the corner with their nose in it….I really wish some study of brain activity was done to understand just how the very young child comprehends this absurd method..Talk about seperation anxiety starting at a very young age!!….I for one believe riding in the front seat would be much healthier for the child. The parent could make eye contact and physical contact as needed…and for gods sake it is only common sense to be in contact with your young child…All studies I come across cite safety…where are the studies on the emotional effects and long term results of placing the child in the rear seat facing backwards!!!!
Kristi at My Cup Runs Over says
Troy, I often talk to my babies while they are in the backseat, something I also do at other times that I can’t see or touch them (in the shower, possibly making dinner, etc). That would help them to realize that they are not, in fact, alone.
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Troy, Thanks for your comment. I agree that all of the studies talk about safety and not about emotional response and “experience” of riding rear-facing. I think your worry is a valid one, and one that I haven’t researched. I will. And will get back to you. Here’s my instict/gut response to your comment: Your point in valid and thoughtful. However, like any thing in medicine, life, or in pediatrics, there are trade-offs, a list of check and balances, and the act of weighing the risks versus the benefit in any decision. In this case, I agree that in an otherwise unremarkable (NO ACCIDENT or QUICK SLOW DOWN) 2 years riding in a car, a infant and child facing forward may find reassurance from seeing and interacting with a PASSENGER or having their eyes on their parent/caregiver-driver. However, it is the absolute absurd frustration of not being able to predict an accident is coming or will happen. Having been involved in an accident where a Semi-truck rear-ending me on the interstate that left me injured,I know too well the chance of misfortune. With accidents being the leading cause of death in young children, I have to weigh the risk of severe injury or harm against those ideas about seperation or increase in anxiety in children. I know of no studies finding increase rates of anxiety and separation anxiety in this group of kids having been in carseats rear-facing. So my advice would stay at rear-facing until age 2 by weighing increasing seperation versus increasing risk of injury/death. But I will look into your concerns.
Donna says
Dr. Swanson, Thank you so much for this post! Have you come across Jim Peralta, founder of Joel’s Journey? His grandson, Joel, was severely injured when he was about 2 years old. Because he believes the nature and severity of Joel’s injuries were due to him forward facing at the time, Jim has become a major advocate of extended rear facing. You and your readers can find out more here: https://carseatponcho.blogspot.com/2009/12/rear-facing-advocate-is-fan-of-car-seat.html Best regards, Donna Eng, CPST Inventor of the Car Seat Poncho
Abbie says
Troy, I have the quickest answer for you. What about the separation anxiety of the death of an infant (or toddler) because a parent chose to reason your way, against factual medical information? My 2 year old rear-faces and has absolutely no separation anxiety from it. Forgive me for the informalness of my next statement, but your reasoning is quite “cockamamey.”
Allison says
Troy, I think you’re on to something…which is why there are many advocates of Babywearing (wearing your baby in an appropriate sling, wrap, or mei tai). NOT in the car, though! Too many people keep their babies in the infant car seat a good part of the time….at the store, at home to sleep or just hang out, on walks (just pop the carseat onto the stroller – no need to remove the baby). There is a lot of good research that suggests that babies who are worn gain a lot of positive things from being worn. I am a proud babywearer and a strong AP (attachment parenting) parent; HOWEVER, to say it’s better for development to put a baby in the front seat or forward facing to prevent social/emotional issues is totally crazy! Limit the time in the car, walk or take a bus, or put another person in the back seat with the baby, but DO NOT compromise on safety. Ideally, we wouldn’t need to go anywhere with a newborn – We’d hang out at home, nursing and loving our new family member. We’d have friends and family to help us around the house, make meals, allow us to shower or nap without baby and midwives to come and check on the baby’s health. In reality, though, many moms need to get out of the house soon after baby arrives, whether it’s for pediatrician appointments, grocery shopping, or just to have contact with the outside world. Safety first! But, I do agree, we need to think about how our actions effect our children’s development and try to minimize the exposure to things that go against millennia of instinct/intuition/ (things like babies sleeping alone in a crib in another room, using plastic nipples to feed babies, etc).
Julie says
Hopefully this isn’t too stupid of a question…My son was 32 in. tall at his 1st bday and already quite uncomfortable riding backwards. Would there be any increased risk on injury if you toddler is quite tall? We were also quite happy to turn him forward because he was so uncomfortable and bored that he couldn’t see anything while riding with us that he would scream the entire length of the car ride. Is the slight chance I may be in an accident really worth the daily torture of him that could be avoided by turning him forward? I agree safety comes first, but you get to a point where it’s similar to illness. Is it worth not taking your child to the indoor playground cuz he’s five times more likely to get swine flu that he might die from?? Not that I believe that is factual but I do believe a line needs to be drawn on how far we go to protect our kids vs. how much we let them do so they can enjoy their daily lives.
Katie says
Our son and daughter were both very tall at age 1 as well. I always go back to the words of our pediatrician, “I’d rather see broken legs than a severed spine.” We opted to purchase one of the larger car seats that could be rear facing or front facing as the child grew. It helped a great deal. I can say from personal experience that as safe a driver as I was (am), we were rear-ended by a 3500lb, fully loaded construction truck (estimated weight was 5000lbs at the time of impact) while stopped. The truck hit us at 63mph. My forward facing 3 year old suffered mild whiplash; my rear-facing 19-mo-old had no injuries. It’s rarely your choices in the car that end badly, but someone else who is not paying attention. I’d prefer being safe, rather than sorry. I continue to advocate for rear-facing for as long as possible.
Kylie says
Thanks for sharing some information, Dr. Swanson. 🙂 Troy, I’m sorry, but I do not believe your reasoning is valid in any way. I highly doubt my child is going to have any ill effects from being rear facing the first two years of their life. For one, you can still talk to your child and even though they can’t see you, they know you’re there. For two, unless you live in your car then the time the child(ren) spend in the car is small in comparison. Some separation is good for both adults and children so the idea that a time of separation is going to cause emotional harm is ludicrous. Now if you were referring to some of the things that Allison mentioned like leaving baby in the car seat when you’re not actually riding in the car then that’s a different story and has no bearing on this topic. I am a babywearing, co-sleeping, breastfeeding mommy, but I will not sacrifice safety for a few minutes of separation anxiety. I understand that we are in control of nothing in this life, but taking safety precautions is necessary to help ensure safety should the unthinkable happen.
Samantha says
Troy really? REALLY? So a dead child is better? I cannot even fathom your comments.
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Thanks for the comments, all. I really appreciated your points about baby-wearing, the attachment parenting view and assertion of enjoying and possibly improving the parent-baby bond by close, physical bonds during infancy, and limiting time in the car to combat that instinct or fear we get when we think our babies and toddlers are stressed by feeling “alone” and out of eyesight. I didn’t find any data specifically on separation anxiety worsened by rear-facing seats. I continue to contend, like so many of you do, that the risks of injury far outweigh the risks of weakening the parent-child bond by having them rear facing. In regards to the taller infants and toddlers (32 inches is tall at 12 months–how great!), those concerns were addressed in Dr Bull’s research. Experts assert, even if legs hit the back of the seat, it is still better to have them rear-facing. In the case of injury, it’s far better to have to endure and treat a leg injury than a head/spine/neck injury that can more likely occur if a child is forward facing. Injuries to the neck/spine/head are far more devastating than an injury to a limb.
Renee says
@Troy – I appreciate your sentiment, but think Allison has very well covered other ways to bond with your child (I also consider myself an AP mom). The MAJOR problem I see with your thinking here is the increase in the likelihood of a crash by putting your child up front with you. The best think I can do to keep my infant safe while driving is keep my eyes on the road. Any distraction (and in this case, though my son is way cuter than my cell phone, they are both distractions) greatly increases the chance that the driver will be the cause of an accident.
Kassidy says
Julie – there have been zero reports of broken legs due to RFing. When in doubt, here’s my motto: “Broken leg = cast it. Broken neck = casket.” It’s harsh, but true! Also, see https://www.joelsjourney.org
Kassidy says
Troy I agree with you a 100 percent. Our family has 2 vehicles. One has a back seat and the other has only 2 seats. Our child (7 months old) is much calmer and appears happier riding in our 2 seat vehicle right next to the driver than alone in the back of our other vehicle as a result my husband and I generally choose to take her out in the 2 seater whenever possible. I haven’t been able to come up with data that shows a significant increase in injury/or death in children in relation to them being in the front versus the rear seat of a car in a crash. Obviously, a vehicle having an airbag also plays a part in whether children should ride in the front or back.
Melissa says
Hi look up on youtube front facing or rear facing car seat safety true story crash test video type this whole thing. There is your proof.
Erin says
For what it’s worth, to ‘communicate’ with your child while they are RF is fairly easy–there are many varieties of soft-ish mirrors that you mount on the headrest on the seat where your baby is, so you can see their face in the mirror. When my daughter was a newborn, I could not stand not being able to see her/make sure she was OK while in the car. But it has the added benefit of that ‘communication…just as I can see her, she can see me…at least part of my face. And really, you should not be having much ‘communication’ with your child while driving anyway. Whether they are rear-facing or forward facing, unless you are at a dead stop, all the visual interaction is going to be your eyes in the mirror anyway. Of course you can sing and talk to them no matter which direction they’re facing. And I really never understood when people said they child was ‘bored’ RF. They can see out the side window just as easily whatever direction they are facing…things are just moving ‘backwards.’ And it’s actually easier to give my daughter entertainment while RF. I put flashcards and soft toys with her in her seat and they actually stay there (unless she throws them out) because the actual vehicle seat is there to hold them in…if she was FF, they would all just fall right off her lap.
bonnie says
hi i live in south africa and there are no rear facing carseats for babies over 9 kilos. literally, none. it’s not safe to turn the the other ones around. would it be safer to try put her back in her baby carrier?
Ash Da Costa says
So far I have found the following EXTENDED REAR FACING seats available in South Africa:
1 -Joie Stages: R2999 from BabyCity or you can buy direct from bambino.co.za
The Joie Stages does not need a base however only offers a belted installation. no isofix connectors
2 – the NEW Joie i-Anchor that is i-SIZE compliant.
iAnchor car seat (R3599.99) and iAnchor Base (R2499.99).
Also at from BabyCity or you can buy direct from bambino.co.za
The new Joie I-Anchor ‘system’ is a base with a seat. The base can be installed with either the isofix or car seat belt. You can’t use the seat without the base.
3 – Volvo car seat (Britax Multi Tech II rebranded for Volvo) https://www.cmhvolvocarsbryanston.co.za/child-car-safety.aspx / https://www.facebook.com/VolvoCarSouthAfrica/photos/pb.123381567679297.-2207520000.1429777293./877126992304747/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-mxp.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xpf1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10343491_877126992304747_4180288706047649058_n.jpg%3Foh%3D08eb8d91e6d01ae9464bd32922e4dc5a%26oe%3D55A32545&size=712%2C365&fbid=877126992304747
4 – Maxi-Cosi 2way pearl
Not sure on price.
available at Baby City / Toys R Us / A-Zee Baby Works / Kids Emporium / Baby Boom
5 – Besafe izi KID or IZI plus – https://www.bornfabulous.co.za/Pro…/BeSafe/iZiKid-iSize.php
Price tag is high on these – R7000 up
Fun side note. I did chat to a rep at Graco and they are going to launch a ERF seat some time this year..”
Danielle says
Thank you so much for this article! I love the way that it is written and how straight forward it is. My son is about a month away from his third birthday and is still happily and comfortably rearfacing. Troy, you can come have a talk with him and see how loved, compassionate, smart, and all around awesome he is, and he has never had a single forward facing car ride in his life. As others have said, there are tons of things you can do to bond with your child that don’t involve putting them at risk for internal decapitation. Julie, that is a tall one year old! I believe last time I measured my almost 3 year old, he was about 36 or 37 inches. He’s still totally fine rearfacing. I know you’re talking about comfort, but just fyi, the height that you’re interested in for actually outgrowing the seat is torso height. When rearfacing, the harness straps should remain at or below the shoulders (some manufacturers don’t allow for using the top slot rf, check your manual), and the child’s head needs to be at least one inch below the shell of the seat. As far as boredom, you may be surprised at how much he can see out the window. My son now points out everything outside of the car. If your son is still in an infant carrier, may I suggest transitioning him into a convertible seat, which will sit up much higher? Good luck! I hope you find a solution to keep that little one rearfacing as long as possible!
Samantha says
Troy. You have a very valid concern. In fact to the point that if you look at any picture or car seat safety stuff from Sweden you will notice that the younger children are in fact sitting up front in rear facing convertibles. There are no air bags in that position, and there are studies done that there is no more impact if a child is in the front seat as compared to the back seat. Now that being said, their car seats are also braced a different way than ours over here, and used slightly different than here. Children also rear face over there until they are 4 years old(and 50 pounds) and then either switch forward facing or into a booster. I think that the American culture could learn quite a bit from the Swedes in protecting our smallest members of society. Sam CRST
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Bonnie, Don’t go back to the infant carrier if it is approved for only 9 kilograms or less! It is essential that a child is in a proper sized car seat, first and foremost. Children have been known to be ejected from vehicles when in a seat too small (or too big) for them. Stay the course with your proper sized seat & possibly look into shipping a seat made elsewhere that is appropriate for your child’s weight if you continue to be motivated (and can afford shipping costs–eek!) to have your child rear-facing.
Aaron Beck says
I would be curious to see all the data on the crashes that resulted in these numbers. The important number to know is in each case where the child did not survive the crash because of facing the wrong way, how many passengers or the driver did. My take is that if the crash is really serious and the parents died in the front. I think the child would have been better off going with them. No matter how much insurance or family I have who can care for my children. If I had a major car crash my biggest concern if my wife and I die is what about who survives. The survivors of serious crashes were often better off dead and have trauma and changes that result in a scared life forever. I would like the statistics to be even for everyone, no one passenger should be better off than the rest. That a 75% chance you may be dead and your kid is off to family or foster care.
Christine says
Obviously, rear facing is much safer! However, I have a 1 yr. old and we have her forward facing because she does not fit in the seat rear-facing! She does meet all the height and weight requirements for forward facing. I asked our pediatric doctor about my safety concern and she said to keep her forward facing because of her size and the fact that she doesn’t fit. She is only 1 and has always been in the 95th-100 percentile for her height and weight. She literally doesn’t fit rear-facing. If we have her rear-facing her leggs are so bent up AND the 5 point harness is very, very tight, too tight! I agree that rear-facing is safer, but what larger baby can still fit that way??
Debi says
As for contact while driving with a parent, on long trips one of us will often sit in the back with the child who is rear facing, much more comfortable than craning your neck to look back at them.
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Aaron,links to study findings you ask for are in the post. Data for these numbers are from the study in the journal Injury Prevention (2007) using data collected from US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration vehicle crash database in children under age two years between the years of 1988 to 2003.
Carrie says
This has been something I’ve been feeling so conflicted about- I totally agree with the rear-facing as long as possible. My son is a tiny 2 1/2 year old, so he was rear-facing until well over two. But I have so many friends who turned their kids around on their 1st birthdays. When people ask why I didn’t, I refer to the new research and the fact that it’s a lot easier to fix a broken leg (from being rear-facing) than a broken neck (front-facing. I’m not one to really give my opinions without being asked though, so I’ve been unsure whether to speak up other times. I’m going to put a link to this post on my blogs, hopefully I can share the news that way!
Rachel says
Christine – my daughter was 36 in and 32 lbs at 2 years old and fit quite comfortably rear facing in her Sunshine Kids Radian. There are seats out there that accommodate larger children rear facing.
Laura says
Shouldn’t this be based on weight, not age? Smaller children may need to face the rear far longer then larger children. I don’t think their age should be the deciding factor, I think their size should be!
Erica says
Christine – There really is no such thing as a 1 yr old being too tall for RF. That 1 yr old would have to be well over 40 inches in order to be too tall. When you say she outgrew RF, was she in her infant seat or a convertible seat? If she was in a convertible seat, which one was she in? Many babies outgrow their infant seats well before turning a yr old. That is why they have convertible seats. My son outgrew his infant seat by height at 5 months old. At his 1 yr appt, he was 34 inches tall and 24lbs. Now, at 29 months old, he is 38.5-39 inches tall and 36lbs and still fits RF in several different car seats. Most convertible seats allow for more leg room while RF as well. Since there are no documented cases of a child breaking their legs as a direct result of RF, my son’s legs are not really a safety concern. In fact, FF are at more of a risk for lower extremity injuries than RF children are. If the harness was tight on your baby, that makes me think that you still had her stuffed into an infant seat. An infant seat she was probably way too big for. They make convertible car seats that RF up to 45lbs now because that is what is safest and that is what is more likely to save the lives of tots while in the RF position during a collision.
Tracy says
My 18-month-old daughter is rear facing as was her sister until she was two. My question is is there a weight and height requirement for forward facing? My daughter is just 20 pounds and only 31 inches tall — third percentile for weight, and 25th for height. I’m just wondering if it is even safe to forward face her at two if she continues to grow at this rate? Thanks so much for posting this message. It’s so important!
Rachel says
If 5 times safer for 1-2 year old, is it still statistically safer for 2-3 year old? Should they be turned around at 2?
mel says
I am currently using a convertable carseat for my daughter, it has to be rear faced because she is only 10 months old, but she is WAY to tall for the rear face she is 31 inches tall and her legs and feet are cramped.. what should I do? I feel bad letting her stay cramped.
B says
@ Rachel: If we’re talking safety, then 2-3 year olds should still be rear facing. As far as legs getting broken while rear facing…I, too, would rather cast a leg than deal with a neck injury. Any crash severe enough to break the legs of a rear facing child is severe enough to break the neck of a forward facing child! And the number one reported injury of forward facing children is….(drum roll please)…..broken legs!
Ashlee Anderson says
Doctor, thanks for the advice yesterday. I am sharing this with all my mama friends (and The Husband). As always, C and I love to see you. Take care!
Kat Stremlau says
Wow. Thanks for the info…you are my new Mom Crush! I have a big mouth so I’ll be sure to spread the word through Tot Spot. I know so many moms that can’t WAIT for their little ones to turn one so they can turn them around…and some of these kiddos are still so tiny! I have a tank of a son (he was 40lbs/40”) on his 3rd birthday and I left him rear-facing until he was 2.5 years. We will also 5 Point Harness him until he reaches the 65lb limit, too. Again, I am so glad I got referred through CityMommy and Facebook! kat
Cherie says
I am interested in this information. I am from Australia and here, Down Under we just haven’t had the injuries that have been seen over seas. Based on the research I have read it seems that the neck injuries are associated with a head injury – the child hits their head on something in the car – usually because they are in an un-tethered seat. In Australia we have been using the Vesa Tether for a long time and I suspect this is why we don’t have such injuries (we have had serious neck injuries but it was found the children were not properly restrained) Of the study does it show how many kids were correctly restrained? Does it also indicate how many of these neck injuries have a head injury as well? Does it say if the seat was a tethered seat or not?
Dell says
I am sorry, but shouldn’t you be making EYE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD YOU ARE DRIVING ON, and NOT whoever/whatever is in the back seat? And I believe all physical contact while in the car should be KEEPING YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL, nothing else. Just pay attention to your child, but while in the car, you pay attention to the road. This “separation anxiety” thing is about the lamest excuse I have heard for not rear-facing your child. My 21 month old, 21lb & 33″ tall daughter is still rear-facing, and will be for as long as possible. For anyone having issues with your LO not fitting in the seat RF, but fits the weight&height requirements, bring it to a CPST to have the seat checked, as it is probably installing improperly!
Samantha says
My son is 3 years 4 months old and 31lbs and he is still rear facing. I plan on keeping him rear facing until he outgrows the weight and height limits of the car seat. It is so much safer and he manages quite well folding his legs up as needed to be comfortable.
Vered says
Hi,
I hope to keep my child rearfacing for as long as possilble, but our car seat (Evenflo Triumph Advance) rear seats till 35 lbs and he is 31 lbs at 15 months old – here’s hoping he grows slowly :-).
Dr. Swanson – is there any way to work the statistics to figure out which is safer – a front facing child in the rear seat or a rear facing child in the front seat (airbag disabled of course) ? A friend of mine has already switched her son to front face and will only consider rear facing him again if he could be in the front seat and so still in contact with her. Could the rear facing advantages overcome the front seat disadvantages?
Thanks,
Vered (in Israel)
Tammy Scott says
We need to make sure that the people doing the car seat safety checks knows this. They kept telling me that I had to turn my son around now. I told them that they needed to learn the best practices and get up to date. They told me that the reason the new car seats went to 35 or 40 pounds was because kids were getting fat. I was really mad when I left there.
Lisa says
Another extended rear-facing advocate here! It’s important to know, however, that most kids outgrow their car seats by HEIGHT before weight. Many seats have 35 pound rear-facing limits, but some (like the Britax Roundabout and Maxi Cosi Priori) have very short shells that all but the heaviest kids will outgrow long before they are 35 pounds. To rear-face safely, there should be one inch of hard shell (padding not included!) over the child’s head. My skinny 24 pound 24 month old is too tall to rear face in his Roundabout.
That being said, there are many great seats on the market with very tall shells that should fit most kids rear-facing at least until 3. The True Fit, Complete Air, and Radian are three of the tallest. The Complete Air and Radian have higher weight limits as well, 40/45 pounds respectively. My 2 year old still has about 4-5 inches of torso growth left to go in his Radian before we have to turn him. I hope to keep him rear facing until 4.!
More kids in the US die in car crashes than from any other cause. Rear-facing long past one year of age would prevent countless injuries every year. Thank you for getting the word out!
Vicki says
Proud extended rear facing mom here! I agree that the separation anxiety excuse is really lame. By the time your baby is one year old, they have begun developing their own identity, separate from Mommy. They can understand better that even though they cannot see someone, they are still there.
My son is 4 years 7 months old and is rear facing. He doesn’t complain about it at all. In fact, rear facing is more comfortable for him as his legs do not dangle. If he ever starts to complain a lot about it, we will transition him to a high back booster.
Heather says
Lisa, thanks for the information on taller/heavier weight limit carseats! I have a 25 mo old who is 36″ and 35 lbs. He has been rear-facing in an Orbit toddler seat (which I LOVE), but the weight limit is 35 lbs. I have been reluctant to turn him around, mostly because of the safety implications, but also because he is a great car rider, which I credit to being rear facing this long. He has learned how to entertain himself, which I think has great social & emotional benefits.
Note to parents with tall but light children: The Orbit system is great! Very convenient, but also the way the base is designed pushes the seat away from the seatback a few inches – giving TONS of leg room. My son is at 98% for both height and weight, and has plenty of room. But it’s not cheap. 🙁 But neither is an injury, so to me it was worth it.
JenniferS.J. says
I turned my then, 2 year old, back to rear facing after watching a heart wrenching story of a little 18 month old having a broken neck. I have lost one child already and will do everything in my power to protect the two I still have. Dear daughter and dear son are both rear facing at age 3 and age 18 months. Dear daughter will have to be turned forward facing soon, I am dreading that.
IJean says
What about leg room? I kept my kids rear facing until they start to fuss about leg room (right around one year and barely 20#). I kept them in 5 point harness forward seat until they fuss about it being too tight. If I am to buy new one again, I’d make sure I can still use 5 pt system until they are at least 6 years old! Kids are 5 and 2.5….
TracyK says
I totally agree only I have a serious problem. My $40K Chevrolet Suburban is poorly designed for car seats. We have a new Safety 1st car seat, not cheap. But when properly installed, as best as it will in the Suburban, the car seat is not tight and it bobs back and forth. To me, it seemed so insecure that a secure front facing was safer than a wobbly rear facing. I took it into a safety seat check point and they were perplexed. I contacted Chevrolet and got a poor “political like” resonse. I am very disappointed with the lack of LATCh hooks and lack of anchors per seat. What in the world were engineers thinking at Chevrolet when it came to cars that seat 8-9 people and very few ways to safely install a car seat.. I currently have three safety seats in my Suburban. A convertible in the middle middle bench seat . A Britax Regent *does not secure either* in the back passenger side and a Graco booster belt.
We did get the the Safety First very secure and tight but it is front facing. It is the best I can do. I can’t hardly get rid of my truck neither can I afford to keep buying seats that are more secure.
Any advise or experience with 08 Suburban would be most appreciated.
Tami says
If we’re talking safety, we shouldn’t EVER drive. Ever. We should all wrap ourselves in bubble wrap and walk slowly wherever we need to go.
I agree with keeping the kids safe, but RF until 3? Please. No way.
Let parents make their own decisions based on facts, not the fear mongering.
Amazing, I sat on my mom’s lap while my dad drove…and I’m alive! My 10 year old sits in the front seat *gasp!* (she’s over the weight requirement) and my 18 month old front faces. In 6 more months, I won’t have to worry about being judged by moms like yourselves 😉
Erin says
I am certainly an advocate for RF as long as possible. I’m just shocked by how many people are actually thinking putting their child in the front seat is “best” for the child b/c they can communicate with them?? Are these comments purposely there to get a rise out of people?? I would like to know how many, I’m assuming must be hours, you are spending in the car? Keep the eye contact and bonding at home and your eyes on the road….us who are keeping our children in the backseat, to keep them safe, would appreciate you not crashing into us.
Valerie says
Yeah I aagree! What about leg room? That cant be safe having thier legs all bunched up as they get taller rear facing. I think a year is pleanty for most children, let parents make thier own choices. Perhaps if someone has a smaller child it would make sense, but I know my little one is NOT going to fit rear facing after a year!
Lisa says
Rear facing is always safer! In fact it is the reason BOTH my kids are rear facing still. They are 6 years and 5 years of age. My kids are small.
My 6 year old son weighs in at 35 lbs and is in a car seat that will rear face until 45 lbs. He has about 1 more inch before he outgrows the seat in height.
My 5 year old is only 28 lbs and has a very long way to go.
In sweden very few children ever die in accidents because they rear face until 4-6 years of age.
I. says
So what happens if you are in an accident where you are stopped, and someone rear ends you? The RF child will move as if he/she had been in FF in a crash where you hit something head on. So what is better? Your reflexes in case that you are in a situation where you might hit someone, or the possibility that you might get hit in the rear by someone else.
Anna says
@Tami.
Heck, why even bother with seatbelts at all? Just a bunch of fear mongering.
To pass such harsh judgement on someone who has simply stated that they are keeping their own child RF until three and then say that “In 6 more months, I won’t have to worry about being judged by moms like yourselves” is rather ironic. You are projecting your own insecurities on other people who really don’t give a toss what you do in your own life.
Doctor, THANK YOU for this information. My little girl is turning one soon but her carseat won’t be turning any time soon!
Mommy25 says
I love the fear that babies legs will be smushed…. I would rather have a baby with broken legs than with a broken neck.
Kerrie Kuznicki says
My BIG boy stayed rear facing til he was 22 months old, then he outgrew the HEIGHT of the seat. He’s above the 95th% for height. This REALLY needs to be passed into LAW ASAP.
Cate says
Tami, it’s not about judging you as a mother, it’s about caring for children. The author of this article cited FACTS (here’s one: https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/13/6/398.abstract?ijkey=b0da1a0c8023c2ed22db9fdb02123fd3b985d1b0&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha )
While I realize your mother allowed you to sit on her lap while your father drive, that doesn’t mean it was safe. While that happened, how many times were you in a deadly accident while sitting on your mothers lap?
Knowing that you allow your child to do something that puts her in danger doesn’t make it right. It only takes ONE drunk driver to hit YOUR car to change your lives forever. Sure, it will be THEIR fault, but knowing that YOU could have kept your child safer can relieve you of any guilt you may feel.
I spend a LOT of time at the Children’s hospital because I have a son with Kidney failure. It’s unrelated to car accidents, but that isn’t to say I don’t see children that come through there with injuries that could have been prevented with simple changes with carseat checkups.
I am a Carseat Tech. It took seeing an 18 month old not buckled correctly DIE when the mother was too stubborn to care for me to finally get my tech licence. I couldn’t NOT do anything at that point. I HAD to make a difference. So, I did.
My children, including my 11 year old, are ALL in carseats (boosters) buckled correctly. They are NOT ashamed. They’d much rather be seen in a booster than forever in a wheelchair, or worse, in a casket. And they aren’t afraid to tell their friends that, either.
Melissa M. CPST says
@ Tami – You are right, in the past people did things differently. In the past there were fewer cars on the roads, the speed limits were lower, the cars were larger, and so on and so on. However there have been HUGE jumps in safety improvements in the past 30 years. There is a saying that I tell my parents that come through the check stations I volunteer at, “Once you know better, do better.”
@ Valerie – Kids are super flexible! How do you think they manage to squeeze themselves out of a 10cm hole when they are born? Their idea of comfort and our idea of comfort are two separate beasts and need to be viewed as such. Why are they that flexible anyway? Because their bones have not finished fusing, a process known as ossification. Until the bones have finished fusing they are at higher risk for spinal cord injuries, which is why we recommend keeping them rearfacing. As the article stated, and other commentators have said, it’s easier to fix a broken leg than a broken spine.
Check out this pictoral page if you really think there aren’t moms out there that do this…all of these pictures were submitted by moms just like you & me. https://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum.aspx (The Reigan, Reide & Reilly are my kids!)
TwinMama08 says
Check out this article!
https://lifewithtwinsandmultiples.blogspot.com/2010/05/rear-facing-carseats-beyond-12-months.html
Naomi says
My daughter did not hit 20 lbs until she was past two. When she was 18 months, and weighed 18 lbs, I asked my pediatrician whether we could turn her around, and was told the recommendation was based more on neck and trunk strength, rather than just size and age. Based on her smallish head and good tone in her neck and body, we were given the green light to turn her around. My question then is, what happens magically at 2 years old to give children the head and trunk strength to sit facing forward? Can this happen earlier? What if it doesn’t happen until later? Is there another way to determine whether your child can sit facing forward safely besides just age and weight?
SKPK says
If you need some visual proof, check out the crash tests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo
Laura says
I run an organization which promotes both extended rear-facing and extended-harnessing. It is great to see this article and provide this link to our information on the benefits of continuing to rear-face a child to the LIMITS of a convertible child restraint – https://www.kyledavidmiller.org/car-seat-safety-rear-facing-is-safest.html.
My older son rear-faced beyond his 4th birthday when he outgrow his seat rear-facing by weight, He was happy and comfortable doing so, and often mentions wanting to rear-face again.
gabrielle says
this is great information. i wish it would flow through so that more options become available. we have 3 children in carseats, and there are almost no cars on the market which can accomodate this easily. only our 5m old is rear-facing, the other 2 are over 12kg which is the limit in any rearfacing carseat approved in australia. my oldest child is actually reaching the limit for the 5point harness in his seat, and there are none for larger sizes available in australia (and if not approved by our safety people they aren’t allowed; so difficult to import).
Niamh says
If you are rear ended and you are stationary the force is based on the speed of the vehicle that hit you. If you are still moving, then the impact is less as you are both going in the same direction.
If you are in a head on crash, you add the speeds of the two cars to see the force so its usually at least twice as bad as both cars come to a stop with the full impact of their speeds.
Thats why head on collisions are more dangerous.
Christina says
As the mother of three I am so glad to see this information coming out. I have been in two very serious car accidents in my life and am always grateful that no children were in the car with me either time. I can’t avoid taking them out though so always want to be as safe as possible. My 16 month old is tall and not at all skinny. I was able to get a well-rated Cosco Scenera carseat that goes up to 35 pounds rear-facing for under $60. Yes, we will have to upgrade probably around 3 years old but for now it was a great solution. He loves being able to really interact with his brother and sister as well.
Jill C says
I would have loved to have my son RF till the age of two. I know there has been a lot of talk here about there being carseats made to fit for RF longer but by the time my son was 1 in his Britax marathon, (which was highly recommended by the police in our town which are carseat certified) his feet was reaching up the back of the seat and he simply looked uncomfortable.
Jen says
@ Naomi
The advice that your pediatrican gave was incorrect and against your car seat manufacturer and the law. The reason the age of 2 is stated here is because that is the statistics we have. Safety of rear facing is based on age and weight (weight because of car seat regulations) The spine does not even begin to ossify until between 3-6 years of age. So it is best to keep children rear facing as LONG as possible, not just to age 2. But because those are what these statistics are based on combined with the fact *most* children can rear face to at least age 2 with the majority of car seats on the market that is now the minimum recommendation. 2 is the new minimum recommendation but it is always better to make your child a maximum. Did that answer your question?
Jen says
@ Laura
I’m in CO so if there are ever any job openings at KDM I’m a tech so let me know LOL!
DanaMarie04 says
My child is 13 months and still rear facing. We have an excellent mirror that he can look into and see us. The brand is SafeFit. He is not separated from us. He knows we’re in the car because I talk to him all the time and sing along with the radio. On longer car trips if there are two of us riding with him, one of us sits by him to play with him and keep him company (and to retrieve his sippy cup, of course). I have heard people say how inconvenient rear facing car seats are… but I just haven’t experienced any inconvenience. Especially with the awesome mirror we have. I can see everything that’s going on – and so can he.
Naomi says
@Jen. Yes, that did answer my question. My worry with all age-based recommendations has always been that a child may not be ready at that age to do whatever it is that is deemed safe. Body strength, weight, and other areas of development vary widely from one child to another at the same age. When my daughter hit 12 months, I knew there was no way she was ready to turn around – she still easily fit in her infant carrier – and could have used more guidance on determining when it was safe besides just her age and weight. I appreciate your mentioning spine ossification as a factor in front-facing being safer at older ages. If there wereresearch that further explained just what makes it unsafe for babies to sit facing forward in a car – why their heads jerk forward so violently, and what happens developmentally later on that lessens this effect – then parents would be able to make better decisions about when to turn their children around. If it’s not safe for all kids at 1, it’s probably not safe for many kids at 2, too.
jcm says
i don’t buy that any kid is that put-out physically by having to bend his or her legs to fit in a RF car seat. and since when does a child’s complaint about a no-brainer outweigh his or her personal safety? yeah, my nephew (with whom i live) throws a fit when i don’t let him pull on and hang by the edge of a chair or the handle of the stove. doesn’t mean we let him do it. really, people?
Holly says
Now can we have seat belts in school buses, please??
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
@Holly, I agree. I should look into this. I have no idea what stalls this from becoming policy. Makes NO sense!
Christy says
Another proud ERF mama here. My daughter is still happily and safely RF at 4.5 years old. A child’s spine doesnt begin to ossify until sometime between ages 3-6 years old that before that happens the child is at a high risk of internal decapation. Its just soo much safer. Why wouldnt you do it?
Liz says
Troy, until my daughter was about a year old and enjoying playing alone from time to time, I only drove alone with her for about 10 minutes at a time. (Meaning, LOTS of stopping on long trips.) With my husband driving, I’d ride in the back, or vice versa. We also took the bus a lot.
What I’d really like to see in this country is cars designed to have the airbags turned off with a switch so that kids can go into the front passenger seat rearfacing. It’s apparently quite common in Sweden for kids to ride in front where they can see the driver. They rearface until at least 4 years old and usually longer and have far lower rates of injury and fatality than the U.S. for children.
So if you are going to go against the recommendations for car seat safety in order to see your kid, import a huge Swedish car seat, disable your front air bag, and tell them to toss a blanket over their head when you see a cop.
Liz says
@Christine, what on earth are you doing to make the straps too tight one way and just fine the other? If there is a convertible out there that does that, you should complain to the manufacturer and demand a refund so you can buy one of many seats that have the same length straps no matter which way the car seat faces.
Beccy says
Bonnie: most SA car seats can be rearfacing up to 10kg, though you can ff from 9kg. That extra kg does account for many many month. There are also some that can be rf to 13kg, found one in Baby City. But the one I found (which might be a baby carrier) had a very low shell, and my tall 15 month old would’ve grown out of it in a couple of months. The only solutions I am hearing from other people are to import a seat, though technically this is illegal because carseats are supposed to be SABS approved.
Vera says
YES! I watched a video of a crash test baby in a simulated accident rear-facing and one forward-facing, and it was a no-brainer that my child would stay rear-facing as long as possible. Another thing I hope will get more attention is the safety of a 5-point harness vs. a booster seat. There are boosters that are “safe” for children 30/40 lbs, and I know many people who just move their kids to a backless booster automatically just because they have reached the lower weight limit. There are so many more things that go into safety of a booster, other than just weight – height, how well a specific booster fits on the child, and their ability to sit properly. The un-scientific way that I look at it, is that race car drivers wear a five-point harness for a reason. It’s just safer. Period. So my five year old has a Britax Regent car seat that has a 5-point harness up to 80 pounds, and although all of her friends are in boosters, she’ll stay in that as long as possible. Thanks for talking about this super important topic!
Jess says
5 times safter than WHAT? What is the actual risk to a forward facing one-year-old, and what is the actual risk to a rear-facing one-year-old? Saying a child is 5 times safer or 75% less likely to die is only meaningful if we include more information. Can you please supply this data or a link to clearly laid-out information?
While I’m not a proponent of the “I did it and I turned out fine” approach – my husband and his brother rode standing on the back seat of their parents’ car, leaning over to the front, not something I’d ever recommend – the difference in safety from the 70s to today is enormous. Compare that to the diminishing returns of each new recommendation today – at what point do we decide things are safe enough? At what point do we allow our neighbors to make that determination for themselves? I have not seen data that convinces me that the difference between RF and FF toddlers is an enormous, life-altering change that outweighs all other considerations for a family. Driving a car involves some risk. The only way to eliminate that risk is not to drive or ride in a car (at which point you then have to worry about the risks of whatever mode of transportation you choose). One of my children was so incredibly miserable RF that I have to wonder what the effect on the driver was, and how that increased all of our risk of harm.
So: 75% less than what level of risk? 5 times safer than what level of safety?
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Jess,
The hyperlinks to the data you want are embedded in the blog post. Under “A commentary” is a link to Dr Bull’s assessment which uses data from the US NHTSA vehicle crash database in children. The link under “a study” gets you to that data. The 5 times safer refers to children 12-24 rear facing versus children 12-24 months forward facing. The same is true for 75% less likely to have a mortal event it’s those kids RF versus FF.
If this data doesn’t convince you, it doesn’t convince you. But using the “I survived childhood” stories never make sense to me as a pediatrician who has seen terrible outcomes. Of course most of our children will be lucky, fruitful, and safe. But we use safety measures for the unexpected or accidental. When I got hit by a semi-truck on the interstate that couldn’t stop in 2004, I would have likely been killed without my seat belt. All 30 some years prior to that, I would have been fine. But I’m pleased I was wearing a seatbelt that day. We all make decisions differently and we layer protection as best we can until we feel we reached a threshold. Maybe you’ve reached yours already…
Jackie says
Well said!
Ashley says
Okay so my question is, they recommend that we keep our children rear facing until the age of two or 35 lbs (35lbs is obese for a 2 year old) But they have yet to create a car seat legal in Canada that can rear face past the height of 32 inches. I did with my daughter who at 1 was 33 inches but followed the 1 inch rule from the top of her head to the seat before I moved her forward facing. Even with the rear facing car seats heights going to 32 inches many seats are installed incorrectly or are touching the driver or passenger seats or causing the passenger seat to be in safe to use as the seat itself is to large for most compact cars, so this being said shouldn’t all things be taken into account not just age and weight but the safety of the seat with height restrictions? So rather then look at weight shouldn’t we also start to look at height for car seats rear facing?
sheri says
i dont dont know how this would work. my daughter is 3 and is only 28lbs, so i do not see her still in a rear facing car set. her legs would be all wrapped up. i dont see that as safe. i dont see how there legs wrapped up is safe at any age. so i do not think i would ever wait that long to turn my kids around.
Wendy Thomas says
This is great! I’m a child passenger safety technician here in Seattle, and I am always telling parents that the 1 and 20 is outdated by EIGHT years.
Here are some great links (including the AAP recommendations) and videos to show why rear facing is safer. It’s even safer for the legs, even though protecting the legs are an added bonus (you can live without your legs. If you need to amputate, would you rather amputate from the knee down or the neck up?).
https://carseatblog.com/5168/why-rear-facing-is-better-your-rf-link-guide/
Lailanie says
My 10 month old would kick and scream and cry and carry on until she sometimes vomited when she was in her carseat. The day she turned one and we turned her forward facing that all stopped. She didn’t like not being able to see anybody else. How could I torture her with that by making her continue to stay rear facing for another year??? That seems cruel.
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Lailanie,
We make all decisions for our children in the context of life. Weighing risk against benefit, improvements against deterrents, etc. It sounds like for your family, being rear-facing isn’t worth the cost. There are ways to help (soft plastic mirrors so baby could see, etc) but possibly your daughter was feeling nauseated or carsick, too. Maybe when forward facing, that improved!
lillian -pink car booster seats says
This is really one of those rare, no brainers. Why not do this and have peace of mind.Thanks for the information its great to find and instant car seat review on the rear facing car seat.
Julie says
Hi there, Great post. What are your thoughts and practices
with regard to moving to a booster seat from a car seat? Also, do
you have any take on seat protectors below a carseat to ensure
leather seats aren’t ruined? Thanks!
Christy says
Im LOLing at separation anxiety and emotional trauma from rear facing. Just how much time are you spending in the car?? My daughter rear faced until she was 4 years 7 months old. She is fine. I could go buy a Safety 1st Complete Air, and she could easily RF till 7-8 years old. She is tiny. 345lbs 41in at 5 years old with a 13in torso
Sara T says
Finally, AAP made this their official policy today!!! I am so thrilled. I hope you do a post on this soon. Keep up the good work.
Philanthropist says
More than comfort or convenience can be at stake in the choice to have your child face forward before the age of 2 (or 3, or 4). I’m a much more distracted driver when my daughter faces backward because she cries much more, despite efforts to provide her toys, food, or other distractions (and I admit that yes, sometimes I crane my arm over the top of her seat while driving to hand her these things). I’m less distracted now that I have her facing forward (16 months). This impacts her safety, mine, and the safety of all of you out there on the road with us! I’m trying to imagine a study that would measure the safety risk of a more distracted driver, assuming that other drivers, like me, are distracted when their child is rear-facing. If time spent in the car is controlled for, are drivers of forward-facing or rear-facing children more likely to be involved in accidents, especially serious ones? I’d like to know the answer because it would be another factor in the relative safety of forward versus rear facing. Still, I appreciate the article very much. Gonna walk to the grocery store later…still probably gonna face the 16-month-old forward for the next car ride…
Frances
Grandpa Jim says
Hi all……Grandpa here from JoelsJourney.
For those that don’t know me, my grandson, at 18 mos and 33 lbs suffered “internal decapitation” while front facing in his car seat…in the back seat. That was in Sept 2008, and I went on a rampage to learn how this can happen. The info I found was astounding! I created the website http://www.joelsjourney.org and posted all the facts I found.
Joel survived, and is now a pretty normal 4 yr old. But the nightmare of that event still lives on.
You all have valid points. But truth is, you never know when an accident is going to occur. A young child’s neck cannot hold back the head as an adults. Adults get whiplash. Toddlers …..well, you know what can happen. We all want to see their cute little faces, but you don’t want to see them with a broken neck. Or worse….
Thank you Dr. Swanson for getting the word out.
Cindy F. says
Troy- Invest in a mirror. My one year old is still rear-facing because of his small size, but since the day he was born we have had a headrest mirror- one you can find at Target, Babies R Us, Walmart, etc.- and haven’t had any problems with his emotional development. When at red lights we even play peek-a-boo by tilting our heads so that our reflections are just out of the mirror frame and he loves it.
I do think though, that the debate over whether or not a child should be rear- or forward-facing should factor in size/weight as well as age.
BPruitt says
I would have to completely agree with the article that it is safer, but I don’t see them putting it into policy as the current car seat laws due to the fact that most people do not have nor can afford the size of car it takes to accommodate one of those monstrous car seats that rear face for that large of a child. In order to put one in my 2008 Malibu that I used to have which is a larger car I had to scoot the front seat all the way up and that’s why we never did it… me being a short person it was still uncomfortable for me to sit in the front seat like that. Even in my Explorer it is a squeeze if anyone larger than me is in the front seat. Unfortunately I just don’t think this is something they are going to be able enforce because not enough people can afford a larger vehicle and car seat. But I say if you have the ability to do it then go for it.
Amanda H says
To those of you that use turning your child around early because they are upset or a distraction is a bunch of bull crap. You are going to let a baby, someone who cannot think about their own safety dictate how they are going to be placed in a car??? I have 6 kids and my younger 2 are ERF at 18 months and 3.5 years. My 3.5 year old has never once complained and is quite comfortable with his legs folded and not dangling where they fall alseep and cry because their legs hurt. Who cares if they cry, turn to the music and sing, get a mirror, get something entertaining for the car, but to let a child dicate their own safety is assinine and bad parenting. So your child is now 13 and wants to ride the neighbors quad without protection or a helmet will you let them to make them happy, they are whining and pitching a fit about it. Never sacarifice your childs safety because it might make them unhappy for a few mintutes. Your arugment has no basis, if it is safer why not do it? Yes 50 years ago we did not even wear seat belts, speed limits were lower and people drove less and cars were not made out of plastic. Research changes, new studies come out, technology changes, standards change and if you do not change along with it then you are already hurting your children.
Amanda H says
Infants and young toddlers have spines made of soft bone and cartilage that doesn’t begin to harden until around age 3. As a result, the spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches; however, the spinal cord will rupture after being stretched after only ¼ inch. This damage cannot be repaired. (https://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#rearfacFF)
Amy says
Just curious… anyone else have a Buddha baby? My boy is 9 months and 32 lbs… wearing 3T and in size 5 diapers…
and I am wondering how the heck I am going to make it past one year…let alone 2…
What do people that have HUGE summo wrestler sized kids do?… is there car seats for the wanna be Polynesian babies?
Mal says
Amy, Diono makes several car seats that rear face up to 50lbs. They are pricey, but you could use it for many years! https://us.diono.com/convertible-to-booster/pacifica
Sheryl Brown says
A recent Cnsumer Reports report asserts that parents ought to buy a convertible car seat or ensure children travel in a rear facing position by the time the child is one year old regardless of weight. The tests while mainly focusing on which seats offered the best protection to a child’s head is very insightful on why a rear facing car seat is best. Check it out guys it also has some videos on youtube showing the tests on a 22 pound dummy.
Jess Holmes says
Rear-facing seats are by far the safest form of transporting your infant and the longer they are able to stay in rear-facing the better. I think that the change in regulations is a welcome one among parents. We have the Cybex Aton Q and its a great seat and should last until around the age of 2 when we will happily change to a front facing seat. The convertible style seats just didnt appeal to us and we were happy to pay a bit more for added peace of mind. Thanks for a great article, super read.
Tyler Car says
Your tips and guides look great. So it depends on the age and types of car seats that we use. The quality and suitable ones that can help keep babies safe from unexpected things while traveling…
Robert says
Thank you for sharing this great guide and tips with us. I love your content, so keep doing a great job.