Facing baby foward in her car seat

Crystal - posted on 02/11/2011

where do you live? most states require them to be atleast 1yr AND 20lbs but i still have my youngest RF at 18months 23lbs and 31 3/4in and she will continue to RF as long as possible it is so much safer and after watching joels story on you tube i definetly dont reccomend FF before you have to this video is on you tube just type in joels story he was 18 months 33lbs and 39in FF properly strapped in and sufferd internal decapitation and is lucky to be alive but had to go through alot

Lacey - posted on 10/20/2010

WOW some of these replays really had my jaw drop. It's really strange how so many people think that because a child crosses their legs to sit RF in a car seat that they must turn them around. I mean when you child is at home and is sitting Indian style watching cartoons do you jump down on the floor to grab their legs and stick them straight out in front of them? Or when they sit like that at school to have story time do you write a note to the teacher to have them sit a different way? It is diffidently NOT uncomfortable for a child to sit with there legs crossed or resting on the head rest of the vehicle seat, nor is it uncomfortable for them to lay their legs over the side of their seats. And for those of you that are trying to argue that it is NOT the law that a child has to stay RF until age 1 AND 20lbs.....news flash it is!!! Maybe you should do a bit more researching like you said you all ready did. I have been a tech for 8 years now and I'm certified in all 50 states and yes it is very much ILLEGAL!! I have four children ages 5,3, 1 1/2, and 3mo. And the three younger ones are all still RF. Our son just turned around FF on his 5th birthday. And for your information he is very tall also at 44" and was still ridding very comfy RF. The only reason we FF him was because our baby was born and the only way to get all the seats to fit in the car with my 6'4 husband was to put him behind the driver seat FF. At 5 yrs old he still has 5 lbs to go RF in his Radian XTSL car seat.

Nichola - posted on 09/08/2009

That crash test video was really interesting! I have my son rear facing as he's only nine months but I'll be keeping him that way as long as possible, well past a year if I can.

Nicky - posted on 08/27/2009

i forget wot age my daughter was when we turn the car seat around so she was faceing us,she 19mths old now,it was quite awhile ago now,n the only reason why we did it at an early age was cos everytime she got in the car she used to hate it with vengance she used to cry from the time we put her in there until the time we got to we were going,she she just didnt cry she screamed the car down,i really did feel for her.but now she loves the car,shes's at the door as soon as we "going in car" i should imangine she was about 8-9 mth.

Keisha - posted on 08/13/2009

forward seating is OK just make sure you put the seat in the center not the left or right like most people do. The center seat is the safest since most cars are hit on the left or right side. If it is hit from the front the child still has a better chance of coming out with minor injuries.

Lindsey - posted on 08/09/2009

We had to turn my son around at 9-10 months, but he extraordinarily long. He was practically sitting indian style backwards. :)

Jennifer - posted on 08/08/2009

I went to a car seat clinic and they were very insistent that I turn my first son's (who was 15-month-olds then) seat back to rear facing. They said that he can cross his legs and still be comfortable and that the best chance he had for survival in a car accident was if he was rear facing. The car seat clinic was done by fire department and police officers specially trained to check car seats. I listened because they sounded like they had seen some bad car accidents and spoke from experience.



I turned him back around at about 2 years when his legs were getting really tight. I'm doing the same with my second. I'd feel terrible if we did get in an accident and something happened to my little man and I MIGHT have prevented it. I'd really like to turn my second son around now since I know he'd enjoy cars more but I know he's safer the way he is.

Lindzy - posted on 08/01/2009

it is illegal to ff a child before 1 AND 20lbs so please reconsider....regardless of what your states laws say there isn't a carseat made that allows ff before 1, it falls under the proper usage clause meaning using the seat as it was made to be used......keeping your child rf as long as possible saves lives and is 5x safer, there are seats now that rf to 40lbs, a childs feet or legs touching the back of the seat is NOT dangerous, there are no documented cases of legs breaking in a crash but there are thousands of cases of a baby forward facing being internally decapitated or injured for life.....being "safe" to ff has nothing to do w/ a childs neck strength or head control, it has to do w/ the spine....a childs spine doesn't ossify(fuse) until 3-6 years of age and only has to be thrown forward in a accident 1/4 an inch to snap...keeping a child rf allows the seat to take the blunt force of the crash, cradling your childs neck, spine, head. check out www.carseat.org for more info

Holly - posted on 06/08/2009

It is NOT against the law in Ohio to turn a child forward facing before age 1 and 20lbs. It is just strongly suggested. I researched it when my daughter was 10mos old because I couldn't take it anymore. She hated the car and screamed just walking up to it. I held off until she was over 11 mos. I don't know anyone who has waited until their child was a year. I was the last of my friends with similiar aged children to turn Molly around. My other 2 are older so there wasn't a big push for waiting like there is now. My son was almost 30lbs and well over 30" in tall at 6 mos when I turned him. He's fine but I wish I'd know then what I know now and I would have waited longer. My daughter was 8 mos when I turned her. I waited for the 20lb mark. Just didn't know 11 and 14 yrs ago.

Christin - posted on 05/28/2009

it is against the law to turn a child around until 1 in all 50 States!
You really need to buy a convertible to keep her RF the AAP now recommends rear facing until 2 and 30-35lbs Here is their press release, not all pediatricians have heard about it yet either!
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/c...

Janelle - posted on 11/28/2008

I just want to thank everyone for their comments. I knew most of this, but it helped me in explaining to my husband why it is so important. Baby Jaxon would LIKE to face forward and see us, I'm sure. But it isn't safe and as a parent doing what baby likes is important, but not nearly as important as doing what is safe for him/her. Thanks!

Corry - posted on 11/27/2008

I don't about the car seat laws in the US, but here in Canada (as of July 1 2008) children are by law required to be rear facing until the age 1 year. If the baby has reached the weight and/or heights requirements for an infant seat, then a larger one is required. If they have reached the max weight for that one, then they are to be put into a booster seat!
My little girl will be 1 on Jan 7, and because she is short and still has 5 lbs to go till she hits the max weight limit on her infant seat, she will be getting a convertible car seat for her birthday! My 3 year old son is in a convertible seat!

Sandra - posted on 11/21/2008

I meant to add the link to the site for all states. Most likely your state, like most others, is 20 lbs AND one year, not one or the other. So in addition to being unsafe, it would be illegal.



http://www.elitecarseats.com/custserv/cu...

Tina - posted on 11/21/2008

My daughter reached the limit for her "bucket" car seat when she was 8 months. I asked a public health nurse what I should do since her head was peeking over the top of the seat. The nurse directed me to buy a "stages transition seat". These car seats are made to have a weight limit of 47lbs and can go from a rear facing to a front facing car seat. Essential they are simply taller and longer then the "bucket" seats ( the car seats you can get as a travel system with your stroller). This can allow you to keep your child rear facing longer without the danger of their head being higher then the back of the car seat. These seats also stay in the car and are not removable like the bucket seats so it makes it easier to transport a heavier baby without the weight of the car seat as well.

Morgan - posted on 11/17/2008

I would wait until she is at least 35 punds and you can see here why...

Sandra - posted on 11/17/2008

Nope. Law states one year AND 20 lbs (she hit 20 lbs at 6 months), but it's also just not safe before then. She will be rear-facing for a few more months here.

Talia - posted on 11/16/2008

It is true that car seats have maximum weight/height limits that you should watch out for. For your child's safety, you should look for the highest weight/height limits for RF as possible in your convertible seat.

For example, my car seat's weight limit is 35 lb REAR facing. I know a lot of INFANT seats have limits around 20-22 lbs, but the convertible seats I've seen (can be used rear facing, then turned to face forward, and some even turn into a booster) have limits around 30-40 for rear facing.

It's your child's SAFETY. Shouldn't be a question.

Anne - posted on 11/15/2008

All three of my kids were in front facing car seat's before they turned one because they were all bigger then most baby's. It's not the minimum requirement's you need to look at it's the maximum that's important. So depending on what car seat you have and what the manufacturer say's should determine if you keep her in the rear facing seat or put her in the front facing seat. My youngest son is 27lbs and 35" tall not your average 10 month old. So keeping him in the rear facing car seat really wasn't possible. Plus the recommended height for his car seat is 19" to 26" and the weight is 9lbs to 20lbs. So clearly you can see that keeping him in the rear facing really wasn't possible he was 7lbs over the maximum for weight and 11" over the maximum for height. So by keeping him in the rear facing car seat it could have cause more damage then good in an accident. The seat's have a minimum and a maximum limit for a reason. I hope this help's you. Anne

Talia - posted on 11/15/2008

Just go to youtube & type in rear facing car seat to see the videos

Talia - posted on 11/15/2008

Absolutely not! You are in charge of his safety. Mothers need to worry more about keeping their child safe, than their comfort. My daughter is 20 lb 10 oz and 31" (YES 31"!!), and she will continue to be RF long after she turns 1.

PLEASE check this video out, it could save your baby's life.

Kristi - posted on 11/15/2008

I have, my son was born 1/1/08, he also exceeded the wt and ht requirements. I turned him around becaue his poor little legs were always mashed up at a weird angle in the car seat. Since doing so, he enjoys the car much more.

Danielle - posted on 11/15/2008

THanks for the advice everyone! Anne, she is 21 1/2 lbs and 28 1/2 inches.

Ellen - posted on 11/14/2008

It's not just the height and weight that matters. It's the strength of the neck and spine, which still needs to get stronger before you turn the seat around. I would not be in a rush to go forward facing. What's the problem with leaving her rear facing?

Nancy - posted on 11/14/2008

I would strongly recommend not turning your child around until at least she has reached the 1 year mark. Their spines are just not developed enough yet.

The AAP does recommend leaving toddlers rear-facing in convertible car seats until they reach the weight or height limit of rear-facing. We'd all be safer rear-facing in an accident, so consider leaving her that way longer!

My oldest two were rear-facing for close to 2 years, and I plan to keep my youngest son rear-facing until at least his 2nd birthday, if not longer - the seat I have now (Evenflo Triumph Advance) might be big enough to keep him rear-facing until he's 3.

They never had discomfort with their feet hitting the back seat - they just bent their legs a bit or sat cross-legged!

Molly - posted on 11/13/2008

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggest the baby stays rear-facing as long as possible, even in a convertable. That seems a little extreme to me, but I understand that in case of an accident, rear-facing is the safest. I have a tall son too, and even though he's well past the rear-facing limits, I'm going to keep him rear-facing until he's 1 years old if I can. It's getting hard for him to be completely comfortable, though, because his feet hit the back of the seat (he's 32", 27#).

Anne - posted on 11/13/2008

Hi Danielle my name is Anne. My son just turned 10 months on the 1st and he has been in a front facing car seat since late Aug early Sept. How much does she weight and how tall is she?