You've heard it around town, er, Facebook. Continuing to rearface past the bare minimum of one year is safest.
See Jennifer's post here for more info on rearfacing:
See Jennifer's post here for more info on rearfacing:
But when should you turn that toddler around?
The current recommendations are to turn the child around when she maxes out the height and weight limits on the seat. In other words, there isn't a best time to do it, but due to the limits of the seat, you have to eventually do it.
The AAP says children should remain rearfacing until they reach the maximum height and weight OR age 2. BUT PLEASE PUT YOUR THINKING CAP ON! They specify age 2 because that is the current data they have available. The study they reference compared 1 year olds and 2 year olds in car accidents and found rearfacing to age 2 was 500% safer. (Yeah, not a typo!) Here is the AAP's statement:
The AAP says children should remain rearfacing until they reach the maximum height and weight OR age 2. BUT PLEASE PUT YOUR THINKING CAP ON! They specify age 2 because that is the current data they have available. The study they reference compared 1 year olds and 2 year olds in car accidents and found rearfacing to age 2 was 500% safer. (Yeah, not a typo!) Here is the AAP's statement:
This article provides an image to help you compare ages and stages of development. It's a great image to bookmark and share with others when trying to explain why rearfacing is vitally important to young children:
A common reason for parents to want to turn their children forward facing prematurely is due to leg room. It should be pointed out that forwardfacing a child will NOT protect his legs in an accident. In fact, leg injuries are one of the most common reported injuries for forwardfacing children. The force from being slammed forward against the harness can break their hips and pelvis and dislocate joints. Especially if the seat is installed incorrectly or if the child's harness is loose (or the chest clip NOT up on the chest) the child can slam into the seat in front of him, breaking his spine, arms, legs, etc.
And parents need to remember that if the accident is strong enough to break a leg, it's strong enough to break a spine, which is much more delicate and harder to repair. As I have quipped before:
And parents need to remember that if the accident is strong enough to break a leg, it's strong enough to break a spine, which is much more delicate and harder to repair. As I have quipped before:
Broken leg, cast it. Broken neck, casket.
The reality is that as children get older, they do need to fold their legs, splay them to the side or rest them along the back seat.
If you view this crash test video, you will get a visual idea of the risk of forward facing. Note that the legs make an impact first, which is where the injury occurs. The spinal injuries occur when the child moves forward and has the neck and head thrown forward.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMFPSStXf
Even if rearfacing had common leg injuries like forward facing, the ability to prevent extremely serious and typically fatal injuries to the spine and head would override the potential injury to the legs. This grandpa shares the story of his grandchild Joel, 18 months old:
Even if rearfacing had common leg injuries like forward facing, the ability to prevent extremely serious and typically fatal injuries to the spine and head would override the potential injury to the legs. This grandpa shares the story of his grandchild Joel, 18 months old:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCG
I have seen children rearfacing to 5 years of age and their legs are not "mashed up." I can't imagine a child properly harnessed receiving a head injury from hitting the knees...unless for some reason the child was unsafely putting her knees straight up in front of her...which would be difficult and uncomfortable to do when properly harnessed.
This video shows children of all ages rearfacing for a better idea of how the feet can be positioned:
I have seen children rearfacing to 5 years of age and their legs are not "mashed up." I can't imagine a child properly harnessed receiving a head injury from hitting the knees...unless for some reason the child was unsafely putting her knees straight up in front of her...which would be difficult and uncomfortable to do when properly harnessed.
This video shows children of all ages rearfacing for a better idea of how the feet can be positioned:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWKm7SenD
This study in the British Medical Journal reviewed car accidents:
"A retrospective cohort study involving 870 children aged under 2 years analysed the protection offered by rear facing compared with forward facing child restraints.3 It concluded that rear facing seats were more effective than forward facing seats in protecting children aged 0-23 months for all crash types (odds ratio 1.76, 95% confidence interval 1.40 to 2.20) (box). "
This study in the British Medical Journal reviewed car accidents:
"A retrospective cohort study involving 870 children aged under 2 years analysed the protection offered by rear facing compared with forward facing child restraints.3 It concluded that rear facing seats were more effective than forward facing seats in protecting children aged 0-23 months for all crash types (odds ratio 1.76, 95% confidence interval 1.40 to 2.20) (box). "
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/338/
BUT ALL THAT BEING SAID....you can also choose a carseat with this issue in mind. Some seats provide more leg room than others, based on how far back the seat sits from the vehicle seat. For example, my daughter in a rearfacing Britax Roundabout puts her legs on either side due to a shallow seat. But in the TrueFit, she has much more room and can cross them, bend them or set them on the vehicle seat:
BUT ALL THAT BEING SAID....you can also choose a carseat with this issue in mind. Some seats provide more leg room than others, based on how far back the seat sits from the vehicle seat. For example, my daughter in a rearfacing Britax Roundabout puts her legs on either side due to a shallow seat. But in the TrueFit, she has much more room and can cross them, bend them or set them on the vehicle seat:
The True Fit Premiere is an updated version and comes with an anti-rebound bar. You can see this seat at :22 and 1:19 in this video. It retails for around $150-200.
My daughter rear faced for two and half years, would have done it longer but there was some car complications. Anyhow, regarding the legs, she's been forward facing for six months and still prefers to sit with her legs crossed as she did while she was rear facing.
ReplyDeleteMy son is almost 3 and I've been debating about turing him forward facing. No real reason except for the fact that the goal was 2 years and we have well exceeded that. This was a timely post for me and I will keep him RFing since he is safe, happy and comfy :)
ReplyDeleteSurprised to read they recommend 40 pounds in other countries. I think i need to turn my boy back around!
ReplyDeleteWhat about when they start to compare themselves to their peers? My 5 yo is FF in a Britax Frontier and I have no intention of moving her to a booster but she mentions a lot that her friends are in boosters. My 3 1/2 yo is RF in a Marathon and I imagine I've got a few years before he complains and he has a while til he hits the 33 lb mark (only 27 right now) so he's easily RF until kindergarten. When is not as important to RF? I mean, when do they even each other out? Does that make sense? And likewise, when is just as safe for my older one to ride in a booster as a 5 pt harness? She's 45 lbs, 45 in tall. TIA
ReplyDeleteIt is true that as time goes on, their bone development reaches a safer stage and their head becomes more proportionate to their bodies.
ReplyDeleteAs for rearfacing overall, it is safer for everyone to rearface. We most likely won't reach that level for a long time (if ever??) but the overall answer is that everyone would be safer in a slightly reclined, rearfacing position while driving. This position simply protects the most important/vulnerable organs of the body, especially in the most common collisions (frontal impact) and most deadly (side impact).
As for when you can turn them forward, I read on the internet or hear from techs that 3/4 years is when many would feel comfortable. Yet just as many would feel uncomfortable. As one of my friends quipped: "A few ounces of blood loss is a deadly hemorrhage for a newborn. My 3 year old can lose much more blood. But I don't want her to lose any blood at all."
As children grow and become more socially aware, we as parents must always be there to facilitate confidence and trust. The old adage, "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you, too?" comes to mind. Bullying is an extreme issue in our culture right now and I am glad to hear that you are sensitive to your child's social concerns and questions. Answering them honestly and brainstorming ways to feel confident would be a good path to take.
As for 5pt harnesses versus belt positioning boosters...a 5pt harness is only safer for older children b/c it holds them more securely, reducing the risk of submarining or of incorrect usage (such as when the child puts the belt behind her back). A 5pt harness still does not protect the most vulnerable area (head/neck/spine)in a forward facing collision. And some speculate that harnessing very heavy (80+ pounds) children will emphasize neck injuries.
Race car drivers do use 5pt harnesses, but they also use a head stabilizer called the HANS device. This cradles and protects the vulnerable organs in a collision.
A good rule of thumb for safe boostering is 4 AND 40lbs, with 100% maturity or your consistent guidance during car trips to make sure the child does not wiggle, fall asleep, move the belt or reach for items/slump.
Great post. To respond to Maria, my kids (7 and 5) are the only children they know still in harnessed seats (it's very uncommon here in the UK). We've occasionally had comments from other kids about them being in "baby seats" but they are armed with the facts and calmly explain that our seats are much safer than boosters and so they prefer to ride in them. If pressed, they will explain all about tethering and head excursion... that usually silences the opposition! I think if kids understand why and feel like they are part of the team that has made the decision, they are much more confident about it. We're at the point now where we have to rotate the four kids I regularly transport between the two harnessed seats and two boosters, as they all want to have a go in the "safe seats".
ReplyDelete