In the past, parents typically turned their child around to face forward in the car seat when he reached his first birthday or 20 pounds. But The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has officially revised its recommendations. According to a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics, children should now ride rear-facing up to age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for the seat.
%uFFFD”A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” explains Dr. Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, the lead author of the policy statement.—
%uFFFDAnd, parents of older children should take note of new guidelines as well: a belt-positioning booster seat should be used until children have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between the ages of 8-12.%uFFFD To read more about the new guidelines, click here.
Confused about how to
select the best car seat for your child as she grows? Emily Levine, a
certified child passenger safety technician known as the newest “Car
Seat Lady,” offers some tips on what parents should look for when it comes to car seats and safety:%uFFFD For more information, visit carseatlady.com.
The Rear View: To keep little ones comfortable in the back seat, make sure you
keep the sun out of their eyes! We recommend Sunshine Kids Cool Shade for the Car Window%uFFFD or First Years 2 Adjust ‘n Lock Car Shades.
