AAP Changing Rear-Facing Car Seat Recommendations?
With rear-facing weight limits on convertible car seats up to 35 pounds, most toddlers should be able to stay rear-facing until at least age two. If the toddler is larger, the best option is to keep your little one rear-facing to the limits of the car seat. Rear-facing car seats are outgrown by the weight limit, or when there is less than an inch of shell above baby's head. A toddler's legs hanging over the car seat edge do not play into outgrowing the car seat at all.
Update: It appears that, though the new information about improved safety with extended rear-facing was made available in an AAP publication, and the information was directed at parents, the group is not updating their official recommendation right now. In an email to child passenger safety advocates, an AAP representative said, "A Parent Plus box in the April 2009 issue of AAP News appears to contain a revised AAP recommendation on how long babies and young children should ride rear-facing. However, Parent Plus boxes and AAP News articles do not constitute AAP policy." The email also says "AAP's recommendation has not changed at this time."
Safety aside, it’s hard to imagine how I could’ve kept my toddler rear-facing any longer than 1 year. As I recall, it was a huge relief on her first birthday because she finally could see the road — and me — and car rides were suddenly scream-free. In fact, now that I think of it, the safety of our rides probably increased because I was no longer turning around to pacify her or singing “Wheels on the Bus” at the top of my lungs…
“Safety aside” Are you kidding me!? I’d rather listen to my toddler screaming from unhappiness than from screaming in pain or, worse, have no screaming at all because of death. I planned to RF as long as possible anyway but I’m hoping some parents read the new AAP rec’s. and decide to RF their little ones longer than a year.
I had this problem with my granddaughter just today. The car seat is not able to sit on the base in the car because it was to big. The company said this is ok just use without a base. The problem I see is the base is flat and then you can recline the top to make it more comfortable for the baby. Without the base she was sitting all scrunched up at a 90 degree angle. I can not wait until she can turn around. It will be nice because I agree with katherine about this keeping me free too.
My daughter just passed the 20lb limit and we turned her forward facing. We attempted to turn her rear-facing yesterday and, wow, she did not like that! But if we have to, we have to. Its all about safety
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My son is nearly 17 months old now and has always ridden rear-facing in both his infant and convertible car seats. That’s all he knows, so he don’t complain about it. He’s in the top 90th percentile in height, but he fits rear-facing just fine, so I don’t buy the arguments people make that their toddlers don’t fit in rear-facing seats past one year. He can see out the car’s side and back windows, so he’s not missing out on the action. Plus, we have a mirror mounted to the headrest in front of him so we can keep an eye on him (and vice versa).
my son is 23 months, 30lbs and 35in and still happily rear facing. sure it can be hard to get him in the seat sometimes, but im willing to put MY comfort aside for the safety of my child. im sorry, but when it comes to his safety, the “bare minimum” just is NOT good enough.
I just dont see how it could work, especially in a 3-4 year old. We put our daughter into a forward facing car seat when she was 14 months old, her legs were up the back seat and she looked so squashed(she is quite tall for her age). I have seen pictures of kids in rear facing car seats and they just dont look very comfortable, especially for long car journeys. My nephew is 2.6 months, looks like a 5-6 year old and weighs over 50lb, those types of seats would not be appropriate for children like him at all. Would mabey suit a smaller child.
No car seat will protect if involved in a serious accident. All car seats have been tested and have passed a safety standard, thats fine for me.
You need to choose a car seat with an appropriate weight limit and a reasonably tall shell to keep your child rear-facing longer. There are plenty of 3 year-olds who are still safely rear-facing within the limits of their car seat. In the U.S., there are no car seats with a 50 lbs rear-facing limit, so obviously a child of that size would need to move to an appropriate forward-facing car seat.
I completely disagree that car seats will not protect in a serious crash. The example of the child who was uninjured when his family’s van was hit by a train recently is a good one. Very serious crash. The child was fine.
Whether or not the child looks comfortable to an adult doesn’t matter much, either. Lots of long-legged kids ride very happily rear-facing. Safety will always trump “looking comfortable” in my book. The study referenced by the AAP article said toddlers were 5 times safer in rear-facing car seats. That’s a big safety advantage to trade for convenience or the appearance of comfort.
your child is safe in or out of whatever kind of seat they are using.There is a minute chance that you will ever be involved in a car crash at any time during your life time.Think about it,out of all the millions of hours/miles you and your friends have travelled by car,how many have been in a car accident.Don’t believe the hype. Worry about something more likely ..measles, trampoline accidents etc.
My son will be 3 in two months and is rear facing. He does great. He is 28 lbs and will stay rear facing until 35 lbs which is the limit on the seat and is what is safest. We took a 14 hours road trip like this and it went well. It is a little hard to get him in sometimes but he is comfortable when he gets in and it’s worth it to keep him safe!
A vomiting or screaming child is a safety hazard – as we should all know by now from cell phone discussion, a severely distracted driver is a safety risk. So while it’s a good idea to try to keep your child rear facing until age two, make your own wise decision based on your own circumstances.
I agree with pilgrim. Everyone knows what’s best for them and their child. My baby will be tall like her father and at 7 months we are already having problems with rear facing. I can’t wait till she’s 1 so things will be better for her. She is miserable….
My 3 1/2 year old, 20 month old and 7 week old all rear facing. My 3 1/2 year old puts her feet up on the seat or crosses her legs. She had a fit when I tried to turn her around a few months ago. Her seat rear faces to 40 pounds, so she will be in it for a while longer as she is only 35 pounds. The same goes for my other 2 babies.
I understand that it is safer for children to ride rear-facing, but do not mandate it. Most convertible carseats do not fit in compact or sub-compact cars without the driver or passenger pasting their nose on the windshield, making them ride too close to the air bag and endangering their lives. Will parents now be required to buy a minimum of a mid-sized sedan, or larger? (as I know people with mid-sized cars who have had to bring the front seats up to accommodate the car seat) Kids are expensive enough without the requirement of a large vehicle that has horrible gas millage.
It is touched on, but not addressed; what do you do about the legs being too long to fit comfortably in the seat? Out here in the west the distances we travel by car are long – 6 hours or more is not unusual. I can’t imagine that kids sitting rear-facing with their legs all bunched up for that long is good for them, or really all that ’safe’ in terms of an accident. Furthermore, we have owned and used several different seats and none of them enough room to sit cross-legged unless you have very small children. I would be glad to keep the kids rear-facing – if they built seats (and cars) that allowed it.
Just as I read AAP hasnt changed recommendations. While all the “safety” etc I have never been in an accident and the idea of rear facing a 2 yr old makes me ill.. We drive 3 hours up to my mom and dads once a month and the idea of my daughter being squashed against her seat with no interaction with the rest of our family is wrong..People freak out over the stupidest things. There are so many other things to worry about besides rear facing till 2. People need to get over it and think about the comfort of their kids. My daughter is in a Britax marathon in my van and a safety 1st titan in my husbands jeep and she loves her seat but she isnt rear facing she loves being able to interact with us and look out the windows. I feel so sorry for these kids smooshed into the backseat with legs all scrunched up and these parents who continue to spend 300 pluss dollars on seats..just bugs me like big time!
My daughter will be rear facing again soon. She is 4 years old and 35 lbs, the max of all the seats we own, but by the beginning of the year, she’ll be in a 40 or 45 lbs rearfacing seat. Saftey comes first!!! When she was rearfacing this summer at 3 1/2 on a 5+ hour trip, we still interacted with her by doing I Spy, Counting Games, singing songs, etc….I rather her be around to play those games than not to have her there because of a choice I made for her. She is not uncomfortable rear facing and even says it’s easier for her to fall asleep and do things because she can prop her legs up to play. She sits with either her legs crissed crossed, proped up on the back of the seat or with her knees bent up….she’s never complained of comfort. Me, I couldn’t sit like that for 10 mins., but kids are comfortable in some of the weirdest positions (look how some of them can fall asleep sitting at a table, half way proped up on a bed, etc…). I’m glad the AAP has made this public and hopefully more people will be aware and follow this safe practice. Internal Decapatation scares me with their bodies still not being able to support their heads going forward at such a force to rip their spinal cord apart, rear facing cradles them in a crash instead of violently throwing their heads and limbs forward. Oh and there have never been any reports of a rear facing child to break their legs – broken legs = cast it, broken neck = casket….I know which one I would choose.