Pediatricians have made updates to child car seat guidelines.
In the past, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested children should remain rear-facing at least until the age of two, in the new guidelines; age is no longer a factor.
AAP says toddlers should remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their seat.
They also suggest, if your child has long legs, to simply fold the legs into the seat.
Driscoll Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Specialist, Karen Beard, says rear-facing is the safest way to ride.
She says in a car accident, the car seat absorbs most of the crash force protecting the valuable parts of the body.
“While you may experience whiplash and forward movement, their head, neck, and spine isn’t developed enough to withstand those crash forces so the risk of injury is 10x over forward-facing than rear-facing,” says Injury Prevention Specialist Karen Beard.
The new policy also recommends older kids continue to use forward-facing safety seats and booster seats until they physically outgrow them.
Experts say using the correct car seat lowers the risk of death or serious injury by more than 70 percent.
If you want to ensure your child’s seat is the right fit, Driscoll’s Injury Prevention Program will inspect them for free.
Follow the link for more details.
