Baby sits rear facing until he/she is 2....

Recently I was out with a group of moms in my town and the topic of car seat safety came up. One of the parents in the group happens to be a pediatrician, so since I've heard a lot of talk lately about the age limit changing for keeping babies rear facing, I asked her the question about how long to keep your child rear-facing.

If you don't already know, The American Academy of Pediatricians and the national highway safety groups are recommending that your child stay rear facing until 2 years old. This is new news, that I'm not sure everyone is aware of. When my little ones were younger (they're only 3 and 5) it was recommended 20 lbs. and at least age 1. Now they are asking that you keep them rear-facing as long as possible, and that that may mean up to 30 or 35 lbs. (my 3 year old is only 32lbs.)

Here's a few bullets of information I've found at Car-Safety.org to support the idea:

• Rear-facing is safest everyone, but especially for babies, who would face a greater risk of spinal cord injury in a front-facing car seat during a frontal crash.
  
  
• Rear-facing car seats spread frontal crash forces over the whole area of a child's back, head and neck; they also prevent the head from snapping relative to the body in a frontal crash.
  
  
• Rear-facing car seats may not be quite as effective in a rear end crash, but severe frontal and frontal offset crashes are far more frequent and far more severe than severe rear end crashes. (Statistics. According to Crashtest.Com, frontal and frontal offset crashes combine for about 72% of severe crashes. Side impacts are about 24%. Rear and rear offset crashes only account for about 4%.)
  
  
• Rear-facing car seats are NOT a safety risk just because a child's legs are bent at the knees or because they can touch/kick the vehicle seat.
  
  
• Rear-facing as long as possible is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatricians, and can reduce injuries and deaths. Motor Vehicle Crashes are the #1 overall cause of death for children 14 and under.

Baby Trends, Britax, Chicco, Combi, Even Flo, Eddie Baur, Graco, Peg Perego and Teutonia USA all have infant car seats that hold baby up to 30lbs, some even higher. Check out Healthy Children for a full listing.

Find out where you can have your car seat inspected or installed correctly at:
SeatCheck.org


Great resources for more information on Car Seat Safety!

Car-Safety.org

HealthyChildren.org

TIPS FOR BUCKLING UP CHILDREN

TIPS FOR BUCKLING UP CHILDREN by Julie Prom, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician instructor representing the National Highway Safety Association's (NIHTSA) safety regulations.

This summer, you will probably be taking to the road whether for quick weekend getaways or extended family vacations. What to pack? Baby's car seat! It's the most important item to bring to ensure your baby gets there safely.

As an injury prevention specialist for over 24 years, as well as a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor, Julie is passionate about teaching people how to keep children safe when riding in a car. As the mother of four and grandmother of three, her absolute top priority is the safety and welfare of all children. "We can't prevent all of the little bumps and bruises of childhood, but there are steps we can take to reduce the risk of injury to our children. The biggest risk our children face is motor vehicle crashes. Properly securing all children in appropriate car safety seats, booster seats, or safety belts every time is the best defense."

According to research from the National Highway Safety Administration, 3-out-of-4 car safety seats are installed incorrectly.

Here are the four stages of protection for your child in a car. (Every time you move to the next stage, less protection is provided. So, don't be in a hurry to move them! )

1. Rear-facing is safest. Try to keep your child rear-facing until child is at least 24 months old, longer if the car safety seat weight and height limit allows. The American Academy of Pediatrics released new research showing that toddlers are more than five times safer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday. You may want to start with an infant-only seat for convenience. You will need a convertible seat (one that faces the rear and forward) when your baby outgrows the infant seat.

2. Forward-facing with a harness. Keep your child in a harness until at least 4 or 5 years old. Most kids younger than 5 are not mature enough to sit still without a full harness.

3. Booster seat. Use after your child has outgrown the harness weight limit of her forwarding-facing seat and is mature enough to sit still. A booster will only do its job if your child is seated in it correctly with the vehicle's safety belts positioned properly on him. A wiggly child could be out of position when a crash occurs and not be protected. You may need to buy a car safety seat with a harness that goes to a higher weight if your child is still too wiggly for his booster.

4. Adult safety belt. Use adults safety belt when your child is big enough, usually not until he reaches 4' 9" and mature enough to wear it properly.

Find a car seat installation specialist in your area an www.seatcheck.org

The right infant car safety seat

Infants—rear-facing

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should ride rear-facing starting with their first ride home from the hospital. They should remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. Now pediatricians are actually recommending children stay rear-facing until at least 18 months if possible.

When children reach the highest weight or length allowed by the manufacturer of their infant-only seat, they should continue to ride rear-facing in a convertible seat.

Infant-only seats

• Are small and have carrying handles (and sometimes come as part of a stroller system).
• Are used only for travel (not for positioning outside the vehicle).
• Are used for infants up to 22 to 35 pounds, depending on the model.
• May come with a base that can be left in the car. The seat clicks into and out of the base so you don’t have to install the seat each time you use it. Parents can buy more than one base for additional vehicles.

Common questions

Q: What if my baby weighs more than 20 pounds but is not yet 1 year old?

A: Use a seat that can be used rear-facing to higher weights and keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible into the second year of life.

Q: What do I do if my baby slouches down or to the side in his car safety seat?

A: Blanket rolls may be placed on both sides of the infant and a small diaper or blanket between the crotch strap and the infant. Do not place padding under or behind the infant or use any sort of car safety seat insert unless it came with the seat or was made by the manufacturer of the seat.

Q: Can I adjust the straps when my baby is wearing thicker clothing, like in the winter?

A: Yes, but make sure the harnesses are still snug. Also remember to tighten the straps again after the thicker clothes are no longer needed. Dress your baby in thinner layers instead of a bulky coat or snowsuit, and tuck a blanket around your baby over the buckled harness straps if needed. Similar to My Carseat Blankie.

Q: Are rear-facing convertible seats OK to use for preemies?

A: Premature infants should be tested while still in the hospital to make sure they can ride safely in a reclined position. Babies who need to lie flat during travel should ride in a crash-tested car bed. Very small infants who can ride safely in a reclined position usually fit better in infant-only seats; however, if you need to use a convertible seat, choose one without a tray-shield harness. The shields often are too big and too far from the body to fit correctly and the child’s face could hit the shield in a crash.

You can read more on HealthyChilren.org

Car Seat Basics: Selection and Use

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of kids in age groups 1-14. Safe Kids USA says motor vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of unintentional injury-related death for all children 14 and under. While some crashes are unsurvivable, over 57% of deaths for children 0-15 were because the child was unrestrained. Many more were improperly restrained. Nationally, the misuse rate for child safety seats is over 80% and as high as 95% in some areas. The good news is that correct use of car seats and boosters does save lives. Infant seats have been shown to reduce fatal injury by 71%, and toddler seats by 54%.

You can find out where to have your car seat safely installed at seatcheck.org

Ten Basic Rules: (from car-safety.org)

Kids 12 and under should ALWAYS ride in the back seat. This cuts their risk of death by 36%. Kids should be in a carseat or booster until they can be seated properly in a seatbelt. For most kids, this is around 8 years old or 4' 9" tall, but proper seatbelt fit is the most important factor. Never place a rear-facing carseat in the front seat when there is an active frontal airbag. Keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible. That can mean up to 30, 33 or 35 pounds in most current convertible seats unless they outgrow it by height first. All current car seats pass government safety standards. Select the one that best fits your child, your vehicle and your budget. Some models do have different features; select one that has the features that will allow you to use it correctly EVERY trip. Always read the owners manuals for your vehicle and carseat thoroughly. They often contain specific information about carseat installation that may not be obvious. Some models may vary from what you would expect. Make sure that the harness fits snugly on your child, the carseat fits snugly in your vehicle, and that your vehicle seatbelts are locked properly. When you buy a carseat, make sure you have a good return policy in case it doesn't fit or in case you find you don't like it. Have your seat inspected by a certified technician for free at a checkup event or fitting station. Please be wary of used carseats, especially those over 6 years old, those with an unknown history that may have been in a crash, those that show any form of cracks or damage, and those with missing labels, model number, manufacturing date, instructions or parts. Please give driving your complete, unimpaired attention and wear your own seatbelt all the time. These two simple steps are among these easiest ways you can protect yourself and your passengers from injury or death.