my daughter is pushing the 20 lb mark so will need to be out of the infant carseat very soon. since she is under 1years old do i need to keep the bigger car seat rear facing still? my son is 7 and never did this for him but have times changed?
2007-08-24 01:49:34 · 5 answers · asked by anne d 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
The recommendation from safety experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics is to rearface (RF) to the limits of the seat which is 30-35lbs on all seats sold in the US. My own daughter is 2 1/2 years - 28lbs - 36in tall and still RF in her Britax Marathons. She will RF until she reaches 33lbs. She is much safer this way.
I have included several links with great pictures and videos of what happens to childrens necks when they are FF in a crash.
Most people are concerned about their child's legs being scrunched or broken in a crash. There is absolutely no evidence that shows a child's legs are in danger and I would much rather deal with a broken leg, than a broken neck.
Your next seat purchase should be a convertible carseat that can RF to 30-35lbs, then forward face (FF) to 50+ pounds. The 40lb FF weight limit seats are usually too small to get a child to booster age (at least 4 years and 40lbs). Spend the money now and it will cost you less in the long run.
ALSO - Please make sure your daughter hasn't already outgrown her carrier by height. She needs to have at least 1 inch of plastic shell (pull back the cover to see) above her head to keep her safe. My daughter outgrew the carrier at 6 mos by height, but didn't hit 20 lbs until she was 14mos.
2007-08-24 02:54:01 · answer #1 · answered by Kak22 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes rear facing till 1 year old!
The next car seat will be for rear or forward facing and should be good for around 15 to 35 lbs.
2007-08-24 08:57:39 · answer #2 · answered by me4tennessee 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep her rear facing until she is at LEAST 1 year old... Statistically, babies are 4-5 times safer facing rear, the center of the back seat is also best...
2007-08-24 08:59:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seat belt needs to be tightened and the miles this person drives needs to be at the regular rate.
2007-08-24 08:58:22 · answer #4 · answered by Casu. 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the longer you keep her facing the rear, the safer she'll be.
2007-08-24 09:00:35 · answer #5 · answered by wendy_da_goodlil_witch 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋