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December 2010 Moms
sflmom
member
FYI-Just thought I would share!
sflmom
member
So my SIL just sent this to me in an e-mail and I thought I would share. She copy and pastedit into the email so unfortunately I will have to too since I don't have a link. I thought it was interesting enough to share!
03.21.11 Keep children in rear-facing car seats until age 2, new policy says
Looks like longer is better when it comes to the timeline of riding in a rear-facing car seat, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The New York Times reports that the leading pediatricians' group is advising that children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a separate statement recommending the same timeline.
The guideline change, which was published online in the journal Pediatrics, comes as a result of new research showing that children younger than 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they're in rear-facing car seats, the Times article says. The policy statement's lead author was quoted as saying that a rear-facing seat is better at 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."
According to the same article, both groups say an older child who has outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits him or her when the child reaches 4 feet, 9 inches tall and is 8 to 12 years old.
The AAP's previous policy "cited 12 months and 20 pounds as the minimum requirements for turning the car seat forward."
A car seat is one of the most important gear purchases you're going to make as a new parent. With so many options available, deciding which car seat to register for and/or buy can be a challenge. Check out our top editor picks for car seats in our latest 2011 Buyer's Guide.
Parents should read the car seat manuals thoroughly because our experts found that 3 out of 4 car seats are installed incorrectly. Head over to our How To Install A Car Seat page to see step-by-step photo instructions plus links to other resources.
So learn how to do this before the baby is born because hospitals require new parents to have a car seat before being allowed to leave. However, workers are not allowed to help you install it for liability reasons.
The New York Times reports that the leading pediatricians' group is advising that children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a separate statement recommending the same timeline.
The guideline change, which was published online in the journal Pediatrics, comes as a result of new research showing that children younger than 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they're in rear-facing car seats, the Times article says. The policy statement's lead author was quoted as saying that a rear-facing seat is better at 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."
According to the same article, both groups say an older child who has outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits him or her when the child reaches 4 feet, 9 inches tall and is 8 to 12 years old.
The AAP's previous policy "cited 12 months and 20 pounds as the minimum requirements for turning the car seat forward."
A car seat is one of the most important gear purchases you're going to make as a new parent. With so many options available, deciding which car seat to register for and/or buy can be a challenge. Check out our top editor picks for car seats in our latest 2011 Buyer's Guide.
Parents should read the car seat manuals thoroughly because our experts found that 3 out of 4 car seats are installed incorrectly. Head over to our How To Install A Car Seat page to see step-by-step photo instructions plus links to other resources.
So learn how to do this before the baby is born because hospitals require new parents to have a car seat before being allowed to leave. However, workers are not allowed to help you install it for liability reasons.
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