Keep Your Child in an Infant Car Seat Rear Facing
The safest way to ensure your child remains in a rear-facing infant car seat is to keep them there. Children should only be moved to an forward-facing car seat when they reach the weight and height limitations of their current seat.
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Safety Benefits
Rear-facing infant car seats are the best option for infants and young babies. This is because they are able to support and cradle their head and neck. Purva Grover MD director of the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Pediatric Emergency Departments, explains that since their spines aren’t ossified, it’s crucial to keep the force of a crash away from their necks and heads. In a frontal collision the baby’s head is likely to strike the seat in front of them. This can result in a whiplash that can be severe or even fatal. In a rear-facing car seat, the impact is absorption by the seat and dissipated by the back of the vehicle. Adele says, “It feels like a hug.” The child’s legs can also be tucked in the car seat to prevent them from being thrown into the rear of the seat or any other surface of the vehicle. “This keeps them from colliding with the inside of their bodies, which can cause internal injuries,” she explains.
Many parents are opposed to ERF because they are afraid that their child will be bored or uncomfortable. Neither has been true for my son, Lukas. In fact Lukas prefers riding backwards because the recline feature allows him to stretch his legs while reading a book or watch TV.
If you do have an older child who is hesitant to sit in a rear-facing seat due to of leg length or any other reason, try to convince them that it’s the most secure way for them to travel. Explain that your child can remain in the convertible or all-in one car seat so long as the height or weight limits aren’t over.
Also, make sure to secure your child into a rear-facing car seat tightly with the vehicle’s lower anchor system or seat belt. Don’t allow them to wear bulky clothing, such as winter coats, since they can be compressed in a crash and cause the straps of the harness to become loose and place your child at risk for injuries. Always use the Pinch Test to ensure a snug fit.
Convenience
Many parents prefer to keep their infant car seats rear facing for as long as they can because they are simple to use and are more portable than convertible car seats. If you keep your child rear-facing, they may have to be placed in a bassinet or crib during nap time or time to sleep. This may require waking up the baby who was sleeping, which is never ideal. However, the security advantages of rear facing are greater than any discomfort.
Preemies and newborns are smaller than full-term newborns and therefore the headrest of their car seats is lower. This reduces the force of an impact and also ensures that the harness’s chest clip is at or below their shoulders instead of at their necks. This is especially important for premature babies who have weaker bones and haven’t ossified from pregnancy or birth.
In addition, the rear-facing position provides an excellent view of your baby than forward-facing. This allows you to easily check their behavior and ensure they are comfortable and happy. Most infant car seats have a built-in mirror that can be adjusted so you can observe your child from any angle.
You can choose a convertible car seat or an all-in-one seat to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. Some have rear-facing limits that are higher than rear-only car seats that allow them to be used for a longer period of time.
All-in-one or convertible car seats are well-known for their flexibility. They can be used rear-facing, forward facing, and as belt-positioning boosters. They typically also come with a large base at the back of your car, making them easier to set up and remove. They are more expensive than infant car seats that are used once, but they will last longer and save you money over time.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ride rear-facing to the maximum height and weight limits allowed by the car seat manufacturer and up to at minimum two years old. Many children grow out of their rear-facing infant car seat before the age of two however, don’t be enticed to switch them around earlier. It’s safer to be patient.
Weight Limits
All infant car seats have weight and height limits you need to be aware of. Most infant car seats have a weight limit of 30 to 35 pounds and the height limit is around 30 inches, based on the model. When your child is at the limit, you can move to the next level of safety. You can either choose a convertible seat that allows your child to be rear-facing or forward-facing or an all-in-one car seat.
There are other factors apart from the weight and height limit, that can tell you whether your child is ready to make the next step in a car seat. One of them is their comfort level when riding in a rear-facing. You can observe these signs in your child’s behavior, and compare it to other children similar to yours in their car seats. You can also seek help from certified child passenger safety specialists at a car seat inspection station which are often operated by local government agencies or community groups.
Keeping your infant rear facing for as long as you can is safest for them, and it’s easy to see why so many parents are hesitant to move their children around until they’re fully grown. But you can ward off this temptation by making sure your child’s seat is properly installed and that you don’t rush to transition them to a forward-facing seat too soon even if they’re close to the limit of weight or height of their current car seat.
If you have questions about whether your child is ready for the next stage of car seat or you’re worried you might not be installing their current car seat correctly, reach out to a certified child passenger safety technician. They are available through community organizations and hospitals local government offices, and child passenger safety programs. You can search online for a specialist near you or contact your local public health department or safety agency. There are also mobile car seat check-in events that can visit your home or workplace to ensure that you have the correct equipment and are using it correctly.
Installation
A car seat needs to be installed correctly to be effective. Unfortunately the NHTSA estimates that more than half of all car seats are not installed correctly (and this includes rear-facing). The best car seat way to make sure that your child’s car seats are correctly installed is to read through the manual, after that, have them assessed by a certified vehicle safety technician.
The angle check is the first step to installing an infant car seat that faces rearwards. You can verify the angle of the base on the side or in the manual to ensure it is safe for your child’s weight.
It is also important to ensure that the baby’s head is correctly positioned in the seat. The forward-facing position can create pressure on the spine and neck of babies with their heavy heads and soft necks. In a rearward-facing collision, a car seat’s back absorbs the majority of the crash force. This protects the baby’s neck and the spinal cord.
When your child is at the weight or height limit of the infant car seat, it’s time to change over to a convertible car seat or all-in one car seat. They can be used in a rear facing infant car seat-facing configuration up until the front-facing limit. If you decide to switch to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat, ensure that the new model has a greater rearward facing limit. Older models have lower limits.
Parents who frequently transport their children in cars will find it convenient to select an infant car seat that is removable and connected to a stroller. The only drawback is that it can be a hassle and time-consuming to get the car seat and stroller into and out of your vehicle each time, especially with infants. This can be a good choice for many families when they are willing to spend the time to do it right every time. Make sure to think ahead and pick a date when you have plenty of time to spare.