Is Your Toddler in the Safest Position?

by Boston Brood

A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advised parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2.  Previous recommendations cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum threshold for switching to a forward-facing seat.  This new advice is based in part on a University of Virginia study that found children under 2 are 75% less likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries in a crash if they are facing backwards.   "A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spin of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body," explained Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement and accompanying technical report.   The policy also contains updated advice for children transitioning into and out of booster seats.

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In summary, the updated recommendations are:

• Children should stay in a rear-facing car seat until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat.

• Children who have outgrown a rear-facing seat should stay in a front-facing seat with a harness at least to age 4 and for as long as possible up to the highest weight or height allowed for that seat.

• Older children should stay in a belt-positioning booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, and 8 to 12 years old.

For more information check the AAP news release and http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx.

Image Sources:

escommunications.net

telegraph.co.uk