FINALLY:Car Seat Recommendations Changed

This actually really irritates me. This is why I NEVER say government organizations are always right. When they discover a rule or guideline needs to be changed, it take a RIDICULOUSLY long time to actually change anything. It is really frustrating. There is a supposedly "new" recommendation released today that kids need to stay rear facing in a car seat until 2 years old.
Duh-we've been talking about this on my blog for a very long time. When did experts first realize this? Check out this article on my blog dated May 18, 2009! If this is such a huge safety issue, why did it take them almost two years to release an official recommendation? When there's that much red tape, there's a problem in my opinion. (Ok, off my soap box now..)

I am actually abiding by this rule. It's probably more out of laziness than anything else! But seriously, I just never took the time to change the car seat around because I knew it was safer to keep my 18 month old rear facing(and because it's filthy dirty and I didn't want to touch it). I just reclined the seat so his big ol's feet would fit. I also have my four-year-old in a five point harness and my seven-year-old in a booster seat. He will continue to use the booster until the seat belt hits his shoulder instead of his neck. How about you?

Here's the story that ran on NBC today: There's new advice this morning for parents of young children -- about when you should turn your babies' car seats around to face the front. Many parents mark their children's first birthday by turning their infants' car seats from rear-racing to looking forward. It's been the general rule of thumb.. until now.

Dr. Dennis Durbin - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia:"All infants and toddlers should remain in a rear-facing car seat until they are 2 years of age or until they outgrow the weight and height limits of their car seat." Dr. Dennis Durbin is the lead author of a new American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement. He says keeping young children in the rear-facing position for as long as possible will help protect their head and neck in the event of an accident.

Dr. Dennis Durbin/ The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: "We've seen many cases where children suffer serious injuries to their neck or their head when they've been turned forward facing and those injuries probably could have been prevented had that child been in a rear-facing direction." And even though they're older, and bigger, kids up until age 2 should be able to fit in most car seats.

Dr. Dennis Durbin/The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: "The childhood obesity epidemic has already spurred car seat manufacturers to make design changes to their seats to accommodate heavier children." State child safety seat laws will not automatically reflect the recommended change. But the hope is that parents will take it upon themselves to create new rules for their own families.

The new recommendations say older children should be in a booster seat until they're 4-feet, 9-inches tall and are between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. Kids should remain in the back seat until age 13.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Rear Facing until 2!(NOT 1)

The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending leaving a child rear facing a in convertible car seat until 2 years old! This is a big deal! That is an entire year longer than what we have been told and it won't be easy to do. I know my boys were kicking at the seat and screaming by one year old because they couldn't see! I waited until the boys were about 14 months old to turn them around and I thought I held out long! I am still searching for more information about this. The AAP article doesn't say what research or why the recommendation is changing. I am assuming it's safer, but what exactly does that mean? Fewer fatalities in crashes? Less whiplash? Fewer broken bones? And who did this research? I have to assume it wasn't a convertible car seat manufacturer if the AAP is citing the information, but there's no way to tell.

One blog says: Their research shows that toddlers are five times safer in rear-facing seats until they turn two. I am assuming their means the AAP.

So if anyone has seen more info on this, please send it to me! When did you turn your child(ren) forward facing?


Rear Facing until 2 years old AAP April:
New research indicates that toddlers are more than five times safer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday. Following are some safety tips for car seat use:
• All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant car seat or convertible seat. • If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switched to a rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximum height (when the infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat) and weight (usually 22 pounds to 32 pounds) have been reached for that infant seat as sug- gested by the car seat manufacturer.
• Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seat until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for the model, or at least the age of 2.
• To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find a certified passenger safety technician in your area, visit http://www.seatcheck.org/ or www.nhtsa.dot.gov. You also can call 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or 888-327-4236. — Lori O’Keefe

UPDATE: Jenny sent me this link on iVillage about rear facing: iVillage
Maria sent this one from a blog and from Cafe Mom

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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