Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

I recently posted a topic with regard to the law of children in their car seats. Many of the comments I have received require that I make this new posting.

Too many parents confuse the size and weight of their children as the determining factor of graduating them from rear facing to forward and from a seat into a booster or no seat at all.

Let's start with the rear facing child.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that children remain rear facing until 2 years of age. Just because you have a child in the 95th percentile does not mean that they can turn around safely. The reason for rear facing a child is to minimize the chance of spinal or neck injury for the child.

Muscular development of the neck does not take place for at least a year. That does not mean that at a year the muscles have developed. DO NOT TURN A CHILD AROUND AT A YEAR! You want to question the ability to keep your child rear facing until 2 years, that is fine, but you want to approach that age as close as you can get.

Pediatricians do make mistakes on this issue. Please, if they tell you that at one years old you can turn the child around, tell them that it is not the recommended age.

Now that we have turned the child around, we want to buy a convertible seat that can go above the 40 pound weight limit of most forward facing seats.

Children are reaching 40 pounds as early as 3 years old. A 3 year old is too young to go in a booster. Again size should not be the primary decision to change from a 5-point harness to a booster.

Again, it is the physical development of a child that should be considered. Also the mental development can come into play. Younger children play with their shoulder belt, moving it or sliding it away from their bodies. Also some younger children still sleep in the car and the booster seat cannot hold the child properly.

I have received some negative mail with regard to the 8 year age law, both mocking the law and myself in promoting the law. Understand that again, it is not the size of the child that comes into play. Unless the child is over 4'9" or above 100 pounds, there is no reason to not continue using the booster seat.

Again, it is muscular development and bone development that makes us want to keep a child in a booster. This physical development takes place at stages of a child's age, not size. In fact, the pelvic area does not fully develop until a child reaches maturity.

The size of a child comes onto play with the following 2 questions being answered in the affirmative. 1) Is the lap belt across the lap not on the stomach? Is the shoulder belt between the neck and the shoulder? This is not the case for most children under 8. But regardless, if the child is not over 4'9" you must use a booster seat for the child.

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

Again, thanks for posting great info! This is my stance whenever I support not switching car seats. I'm always talking about the age and maturity as the primary point, not the weight.

DC were both 18-19 months before we turned them front-facing (years before the latest 2 year recommendation). DS was 6 before we went from the 5 point harness to a booster, and at 6.5yo, I don't see him leaving the booster for quite a while yet.

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

I do appreciate this...

My DS is 14.5 months old, still rear-facing, and his legs are really starting to fold up against the back of the seat. He's not complaining though, so this is safe right?

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

I saw this recently - here's a sobering reminder:

Rear-Facing is best

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

Great info! Thanks for educating us, Chris!

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

Re: Car Seat Safety and Ages of Children

Just wanted to bump this back up so more can read the content - Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all!

Drive Carefully!!