my baby weighs nearly 9kg but isnt 9 months, can he go into a foward facing car seat?

Question

i know foward facing chairs states from 9kg or nine months of age. His chair sits rearwards aswell as fowards and he doent look small in it.
Im not sure if i should put him in it facing fowards or not, it would make life easier but obviously his safety comes first.


Oh by the way he is not obease he is right in all proportion before i get any wise cracks :o/

Answer 1

In all of Canada and the US, and much of the rest of the world the law says 9kg AND one year -and that's just a minimum. I understand in parts of Europe the law doesn't say that -in fact I have heard Greece doesn't have childseat laws at all.

However it is ALWAYS safest to remain rear-facing, but a child that is front facing before a year faces a very high risk of death in an accident. Their spines just aren't strong enough. It is ALWAYS recommended that a child remain rear-facing until they max out the weight or height of the seat. Which for convertible seats is usually 14kg in Canada, and 16kg in the US (for the same seat from the same company -don't ask me I don't understand).

http://www.carseat.org/Technical/tech_update.htm#rearfacFF
Rear-facing vs. forward-facing

Safety experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children remain rear-facing as long as possible and never travel forward-facing before they are 1 year old and also weigh at least 20 pounds to reduce the risk of serious neck injury and lifelong disability. All new convertible seats available today allow a child to remain rear-facing until they weigh up to 30 or 35 lb, depending on the model.

When the child is rear-facing, the head, neck, and thorax are restrained together by the back of the CR in a frontal crash. There is little or no relative motion between the head and torso that could load the neck. If the same child were facing forward, the harness would restrain the torso, but the head and neck would pull and rotate forward, leading to the potential for serious upper spinal injury.

There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions about rear-facing vs. forward-facing that lead even the best intentioned parent or pediatrician to believe a child is "safe" facing forward when he is still very young. These come from obsolete ideas and advice that may still appear in older pamphlets and pediatric literature and are not the current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Real-world experience has also shown that a young child's skull can be literally ripped from her spine by the force of a crash. The body is being held in place, but the head is not. When a child is facing rearward, the head is cradled and moves in unison with the body, so that there is little or no relative motion that might pull on the connecting neck.

The most common misunderstanding is that a child is ready to travel facing forward when his neck muscles are strong enough to support and control his head. However, when a car hits something at 25 to 30 mph, it will come to a stop at a negative acceleration rate of from 20 to 30 G. Because of the time lag between when the vehicle stops and an occupant stops, and the fact that the head of a forward-facing adult or child is still free to move relative to the restrained torso, the head may experience as much as 60 or 70 Gs acceleration for a brief moment. Even the strong neck muscles of military volunteers cannot counteract such forces. Instead, the rigidity of the bones in the neck and strength of the connecting ligaments (not the muscles) hold the adult spine together and keep the spinal cord intact within the confines of the vertebral column.

Very young children, however, have immature vertebrae that are still partly made of cartilage. These are soft and will deform and/or separate under tension, leaving just the spinal cord as the last link between the head and the torso. According to documented research, autopsy specimens of infant spines and ligaments allow for spinal column elongation of up to two inches, but the spinal cord ruptures if stretched more than 1/4 inch. Real-world experience has shown that a young child's skull can be literally ripped from her spine by the force of a crash.

Another aspect of the facing-direction issue that is often overlooked is the additional benefit a child gains in a side impact. Crash testing and field experience have both shown that the head of a child facing rearward is captured by the child restraint shell in side and frontal-oblique crashes, while that of a forward-facing child may be thrown forward, around, and outside the confines of the side wings. Field data show better outcomes for rear-facing children than forward-facing children, even though most CRs are not specifically designed to protect children in side impact.

Some older convertible CRs indicated in their instructions that a child should face forward when her feet touch the vehicle seatback or when the legs must be bent due to lack of space. This prohibition is not justified by any crash experience or any laboratory evidence, and these instructions have now been revised. There have not been any crashes documented in which rear-facing children sustained leg injuries because they were rear-facing. Even if this were the case, broken legs are easier to fix than broken necks. The only physical limit on rear-facing use is when the child's head approaches the top of the restraint shell (see Height and weight limits). At this point, she should be moved to a rear-facing convertible restraint, or, if the child is already using one and is over one year, to its forward-facing configuration.

There are no magical or visible signals to tell parents, pediatricians, or technicians when the risk of facing forward in a crash is sufficiently low to turn the child around. In an international research and crash review conducted several years ago, the data seemed to show a change in outcome at about 12 months between severe consequences and more moderate consequences for the rare events of injury to young children facing forward in a CR. At the time, one year old was useful as a simple benchmark, but now the message is to keep the child facing rearward as long as possible within the weight and height limits of the CR. This may be as long as 18 to 24 months.

Parents and pediatricians need to know what the real reasons for extending the rear-facing period, in order to be able to make an informed judgment. For research documentation, see Weber, 2000. See also Rear-facing child restraint. (7/06)

Answer 2

Its a good idea to keep him rear-facing as long as possible, for the safety reasons. If you are in a crash he will be pressed back in the seat which is safer than being flung forward against the straps.

So it really depends on whether he is still content to be rear-facing, or if he gets very bored and fretful and you think he would be happier if he could see out the window.

My LO stayed in his rear-facing seat until he was 13months, and could even have stayed there another month probably, cos he's a skinny minny. But his legs were getting really squashed up and he was getting bored.

Answer 3

In the U.S. there have been many studies and because a baby doesn't have developed neck muscles, it is best to keep them rear facing till 12 months and 20 lbs. Longer is even better. Some even keep them rear facing till they reach the weight limit on the seat even if they are almost 2. As you say, it is a matter of safety, and rear is safer, at least till he is 1. Here is something to read as to why rear is better>>>>>>> http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

Answer 4

My son is 7 months, and over 9kg. He goes in his big chair sometimes - his friend Daisy is two and has the same big car seat as him and he goes in hers sometimes.
We do still normally use his little one, but only because its got a carry handle and its easier - I don't see any problem with popping him in there just to go to the shops to help him get used to it, then when he gets to the weight limit, he'll be ready to use it full time. :-)

Answer 5

In the US its 20 pounds and a year. I dont know why its 9 months there, theyve done sooo many studies and found that a year is best.

Babies grow at different rates, but the development of their muscles and tendons and joints can only happen at a certain rate. Its 9 months for that reason.

Answer 6

hi, it is safe to put them in the forward facing when they reach either stage (9kg or 9mnth) but it is up to you. if your child still fit safely in the seat rear facing and you would like to leave them like this then that is fine aswell.
my daughter was a very tall baby so had to be turned as soon as she reached the stage but my son sat rear facing until 1yr.
you have to do what makes you feel comfortable aswell. hope that helps xxx

Answer 7

If the cars says 9kg OR 9 months he'll be fine

Answer 8

Hi there, I put both of my little boys into their forward facing seats once they reached 9kg (well before they were 9 months.... big babies lol!) Hope this helps,
Sarah x

Answer 9

Should be of correct weight and be able to sit up by self for 20mins+ this is to show spine in developed properly my son was able to sit in his seat at 6mths as he had supported himself since 4month and was a big boy.
Age is irrelevant they could be 18mth and very under weight and therefore not advisable. The ability to sit by self is a major factor refer to Carseat instructions - (i'm in uk)

Answer 10

Even though your baby reached 9 kg (I also have a 9month old baby girl with that weight) you need to keep him rear facing until he is 1 yo, that's what my Dr told me.