Update on the Safety of Rear Facing Car Seats

According to a recent report in the New York Times, “Toddlers are usually switched from rear facing to forward facing car seats right after their first birthday — an event many parents may celebrate as a kind of milestone.”  But in a new policy statement, the nation’s leading pediatricians’ group says that is a year too soon for the transition.  Basically, the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics that was issued Monday is based chiefly on a 2007 study done by the University of Virginia.  This study found that that “children under 2 are 75 percent less likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries in a crash if they are facing the rear,” according to the Times report.  But that is not all.

The new policy statement also advises that older children should ride in a “belt-positioning booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, and 8 to 12 years old,” the story reveals.  The reason for the latter is namely because a booster seat allows the vehicle’s lap and shoulder seat belt to fit properly (meaning the lap portion of the belt fits low across the hips and pelvis) and the shoulder portion fits across the middle of the shoulder and chest.  And it seems that doctors and safety experts agree!  For example, safety advocates applaud the new policy, but unfortunately, they realize the transition from rear-to forward facing is usually the one that parents are least willing to delay, according to the Times.

When it comes to your kids, it is important to have the right info.  Please feel free to read more at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/health/policy/22carseat.html?_r=3&scp=5&sq=car%20accident&st=cse