Rear Facing Car Seats Until Age Two

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced that parents should keep their children in rear facing car seats up until age two (not one, as previously recommended). The newest research has shown that kids in rear facing seats are more than five times safer than those riding in forward facing seats. Statistics from recent studies have shown that children under the age of 2 who ride in rear facing seats are 75% less likely to die or suffer major injury during a collision.
 
Previous thinking was that children who rode in rear facing car seats where their feet touched the vehicle seat were more prone to injuries of their lower limbs. It has been found, however, that lower limb injury while riding in a rear facing seat is rare. The rear facing seats seem to better support the head, neck, back and trunk of children and help distribute the impact of a crash evenly over a child's whole body. Forward facing seats for toddlers are found to concentrate the impact more on the seat belt contact points, making them more prone to injury.
 
Doctors have agreed that sending a child to an orthopedic surgeon to correct lower leg injuries, is always better than sending a child to a neurologist for head or cervical/spinal injuries. One doctor stated to look at it as the potential for fracture versus the potential for paralysis.
 
In Sweden children ride in rear facing seats until age 4, and this has been found to be 90% safer, however car seats in Sweden are manufactured differently than in the US to allow for this.
 
The AAP says that since motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in children that all parents should be encouraged to keep their children in rear facing seats up until age 2 or until they exceed the size limit of the car seat. They recommend that all children ride in an infant car seat or convertible seat. If an infant car seat is used the child should be switched to a rear facing convertible seat once the maximum height and weight for the seat have been reached (the head is within 1" of the top of the seat and weight is usually 22-32 lbs). Toddlers should then remain in a rear facing convertible seat until they reach the maximum weight for the seat or at least until they reach the age of two.
 
Parents can visit www.seatcheck.org  or call 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) to see if their seat is properly installed.
 
Tamara Guo M.Ed. Developmental Specialist

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics

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