As it is now, a baby should be rear facing if he is under a year and under 20lbs (I think) but what I'm seeing is that a lot of babies are over 20 lbs by their first birthdays, should the rules by changed a little to accomadate this?
2006-09-06 09:59:43 · 8 answers · asked by Nyema 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
look I think things need to change, because by todays standrards I would have been in a car seat until I was 14. They need to look at things a little more closely.
2006-09-06 10:08:29 · answer #1 · answered by cookies_n_cream0218 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. The recommendation is that the child must be BOTH 20 lbs AND 12 months before turning them around for a reason. (It is NOT "either/or" but BOTH.) Just because a baby weighs more than 20 pounds does not make him ready to ride forward facing. It's not just about weight, but also about physical development.
Babies have heavy heads and fragile necks. The neck bones are soft, and the ligaments are stretchy. If the baby is facing forward in a frontal crash (the most common and most severe type of crash), the body is held back by the straps, but the head is not. The head is thrust forward, stretching the neck. Older children and adults wearing safety belts may end up with temporary neck injuries. But a baby's neck bones are soft and actually separate during a crash, and the spinal cord can tear. This is true even for babies who have strong neck muscles and good head control. It's like yanking an electrical plug out of a socket by the cord and breaking the wires. The baby could die or be paralyzed for life in this kind of accident.
In contrast, when a baby rides facing rearward, the whole body--head, neck, and torso--is cradled by the back of the safety seat in a frontal crash. Facing rearward also protects the baby better in other types of crashes, particularly side impacts.
If they still fit in the car seat rear facing, it's safer to leave them that way for as long as you can! Even beyond 12 mos and 20 lbs! (Did you know that Swedish children ride rear-facing until at least three years old in safety seats made to fit larger children?)
Most convertible safety seats can be used facing the rear up to 30 pounds and a few to 35 pounds. So there is no reason to turn your baby forward before age one and risk spinal injury. Do not use an infant-only seat if your baby's weight is over the maximum (20-22 pounds) or if her head is within an inch of the top edge of the seat. When using a convertible seat rear-facing, make sure the child's head is below the top of the safety seat, so that the head is not exposed to contact with the vehicle interior.
EDITED TO ADD:
Booster seat laws differ state to state. Here in Indiana they must be in a booster until age 8. My son will turn 8 in February and since he is small I intend to keep him in a booster even after that. He will be safer that way.
2006-09-06 10:14:36 · answer #2 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Safety rules should not change to accomodate. They would change if it was proven that if is safer for them to face the front. No matter how big they are, rear facing is the safest position for a baby in the car. People should consider their childrens safety instead of being accomodated.
2006-09-06 10:07:05 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No they should stay rear facing untill a year for the mucles in their necks are still not strong enought to be fully supportive in an accident. They actually recomend for them to stay rear facing as long as possible, even past a year.
2006-09-06 10:36:35 · answer #4 · answered by erinjl123456 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A child should be in a front facing car seat when they are 1 and have good head control. They should be in a car seat, then a booster seat until they are 5.
2006-09-06 12:25:03 · answer #5 · answered by mommy_2_liam 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's either/or. Either the baby is one year old OR it weighs over 20 pounds. It's not both.
2006-09-06 10:08:08 · answer #6 · answered by hawaiijos 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no, i think 40 pounds is good enough to get out of a carseat!
2006-09-06 10:05:00 · answer #7 · answered by Ariel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they should keep it the way it is,Also the kids in the backseat always,I don't even like when my kids ride in the front even though one just turned 13.I think they are safer back there.
2006-09-09 11:21:19 · answer #8 · answered by annie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋