Front facing carseats

Dana - posted on 08/19/2010

Since Chelsea has gotten all the responses she needs, we're going to go ahead and lock this thread. Thank you everyone for responding. ~ Dana WtCoM Moderator

Dana - posted on 08/19/2010

Chelsea, I don't think anyone is attacking anyone. I think that everyone just wants to make sure that mothers are well informed that one "small" decision of flipping your child to forward facing too early can and has resulted in death. There is no harm in learning the facts.

Vicky - posted on 08/19/2010

The reason for putting infants rear facing is anatomy. Their heads/neck & spine can not sustain a collision forward facing. Go online and research it for yourself. I hate to see a child injured or killed b/c the weren't properly restrained.

Krista - posted on 08/19/2010

Thank you Kylie...that was extremely helpful. Chelsea, I realize that some of the posts may have come across as judgmental, but please reconsider your decision. As many others here have said, weight is only one factor. Age is another, and at 9 months old, a baby has much higher odds of being seriously, seriously hurt in an accident if they are front-facing. Please do more research on this before making a decision...I know your little one hates being rear-facing, but there are going to be a lot of safety measures that she will hate. What's most important is that your precious little one is kept as safe as possible.

Please...think about this.

Tiffany - posted on 08/19/2010

it 20lbs AND a year old before they can safely go in a forward facing car seat.
They dont make these rules for nothing.
Your baby can suck it up for safety's sake dont you think?
Its only a few more months...

Kylie - posted on 08/19/2010

Hi, I'm a car seat technician in NZ & also work for Plunket. We recommend that you keep your children rear facing until they are at least 12mths old due to the lack of fatty tissue supporting their spines. In the case of an accident they will curll back into their seats rather than being thrust forward & receiving whiplash injuries which their bodies can not cope with. A childs head is out of proportion of the rest of their bodies & is much heavier than say ours as adults in comparasion to the rest of our bodies. Please it is much safer to keep them rearfacing than turn them around too soon. It is also a proven fact that children should stay in booster seats longer than the required law of 5yrs old as in NZ presently. The seatbelt in a car is designed for use by an adult. A booster seat raises the child to a level where the seatbelt will work correctly. By having a child in a seat belt without a booster seat the seatbelt then crosses over the neck instead of the shoulder bone & the lap portion of the belt rides up over the soft part of the adomen instead of over the pelvic bone. This causes horrific injuries. Recommendation is that you keep your older children in booster seats until they are 148cm tall.

If you have any other questions regarding car seats etc please don't hesitate to contact me at all.

Our babies are very precious & the safer the better.

Chelsea - posted on 08/19/2010

Ok I didn't really have the time to read all 113 posts but thank you everyone who responded.

There is no reason to attack other mothers or myself for doing something different from what you would do. I'm sure I could pick out a few things that you do that I would never but we all have different parenting techniques. Personally I would never want my 2 year old in a rear facing carseat let alone a 3 year old. Where I live it is not illegal to have my child in a front facing carseat before she is a year old.

I am going to wait until she reaches 20 lbs. Whether that be at 9 months or a year old. Thank you everyone for your responses. They were very helpful.

Susan - posted on 08/19/2010

If you are giving all sorts of reasons why it is better to wait to switch to forward facing, then why did you switch your daughter to forward facing? I don't get it- you know it is safer rear facing but you are switching her because it will make her happier? Hmmmmm. I think your daughter will be happier if she survives an accident because you kept her rear facing.

Amanda - posted on 08/19/2010

Did you have a mirror in the back so she could look in the mirror and see you?? That might help until she is able to upgrade to forward facing.

Elizabeth - posted on 08/19/2010

No, age is not, it is weight. AND the neck is still not developed enough to support the head! Don't tell people that!! Rear facing prevents internal decapitation that can happen even in a 5 mph collision!! Look on UTUBE and see the children that have died because they were put in a front facing too soon! Just type in front facing car seats, they are not morbid, just memorials to these beautiful children who's parents did not know better, AND tell your friends!!

Elizabeth - posted on 08/19/2010

it is not the weight of the body it is the weight of the head.. A child can be internally decapitated if even in a small fender bender. Their neck will snap. It is not an "educated" guess!!! Go on Utube and see the videos about it, and the children that died because their parents made an "educated" guess.. And put your precious baby in a rear facing seat!!

Tammy-lee - posted on 08/19/2010

they r aloud to go in a forward facing carseats when they can sit up unaided

Caryn - posted on 08/19/2010

I had a baby like that too! As frustrating as it was, though, I decided that her safety trumped her comfort and I just had to put up with her crying in the car until she weighed enough. It was awful, but she's 4 now and everything worked out! She would sit in the car for a while and was ok if I went on short trips like to the grocery or something like that, but if it was one of those days where I had to drive around a lot doing errands (especially if there was a lot of taking her out and putting her back in) she would get angry and start crying. I was a stickler about the weight limit though and didn't turn her around until she hit the 20 month mark. As it was though, I think she didn't like the infant car seat at all! When we finally got her into a regular upright car seat, the behavior improved drastically. I wonder if your baby is like that?

Jennifer - posted on 08/19/2010

My little boy was about 8 months when i switched him because he didnt like not seeing everythin which made car rides miserable!

Charlie - posted on 08/19/2010

I was very tempted to switch my daughter to forward facing asap too, b/c she would cry almost non-stop any time we were in the car and I wanted to see if she'd be better if she could see what was going on. Then I looked into it and found out exactly what happens in a car crash in forward vs. rear facing. Since then, I was sad when I did have to switch her to forward facing. A baby/toddler's head is much heavier in porportion to his body than ours is. In a crash, the weight of the head can actually internally decapitate the head. That means the head still looks connected, but the damage inside is considered decapitation. The child dies in this case. Many other serious injuries commonly occur in front-facing as well. Where-as in rear-facing, the hard back of the carseat takes all the weight of the child's entire body in a crash - keeping them safe and sound. In car accidents it's often the baby who is just fine while everyone else suffers serious injuries or worse. Whatever decision you make, I encourage you to look into it for yourself first. Good luck.

Elizabeth - posted on 08/19/2010

Keep them rear faceing as long as possible..

DO NOT put her in front facing, Their necks are not developed enough, and in a collision, the head pulls off the neck and can internally decapitate her.. you can get a safety mirror at the baby stores so she can see the front seat.

Valerie - posted on 08/19/2010

Oh, that one is easy. At 2, they climb in themselves. :)

Ceri - posted on 08/19/2010

A bit cruel if you cant see them when they are rear facing? Really? I think it would be crueler if you didn't see them for ever because they died. Safety FIRST and ALWAYS. I think the whole world should get together and set a standard for every child. To have all the different weight and age restrictions makes it confusing. Just because one place says 6 months doesn't mean its safe. GOOGLE forward facing VS rear facing, it could save a child's life! I do not mean to come off mean or attack like, but no one should have to deal with the loss of a child. Even if one drives safe you can't control those who are driving around you. It's a SIMPLE thing you can do for your child that could SAVE THEIR LIFE! If my blunt words change even ONE person's mind it could save a child's life. Rear Facing is SAFEER than forward facing. Read the facts!

Suzie - posted on 08/19/2010

IT isn't really their weight entirely that matters....they have to be one and 20 pounds because their bones are not strong enough until one years of age to be forward facing. You only have a few months left which will go by fast compared to a possible neck injury if you are in an accident that would last a life time.
My son wasn't 20 pounds until he was almost 15 months old so he stayed rear facing until then.
AGE is the most IMPORTANT requirement to turn your child around.

Tania - posted on 08/19/2010

It is dangerous to turn them before a year - and even after a year it is safer to have them rear-facing. Search for car seat videos on youtube. I'd rather my child have a broken leg from "not enough leg room" rear-facing, than a broken neck from forward facing.

Sara - posted on 08/19/2010

I turned my daughter around after she turned one. She was 25 pounds. I personally wouldn't turn them around unless they meet the requirements for age AND weight, it's dangerous.

Krista - posted on 08/19/2010

Actually, Jackie, studies show that "children seated in the center had a 43% lower risk of injury than those in either side position, which researchers say revalidates current child-restraint safety recommendations."

So you actually want to make sure she IS in the middle. And you want her to be rear-facing for as long as possible. 5-point harnesses are great, but they don't protect the baby's neck.

And Mona, no offense, but your eldest child's pediatrician is an utter moron. Reams of reputable studies have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that rear-facing is much safer than front-facing.

Like I said, think about it: how many adults do you know who have had bad whiplash from a car accident, and what on EARTH do you think that same amount of force would do to a 6-month old's neck?

Jackie - posted on 08/19/2010

I think my kids were like 6 months old, maybe 8. Get a good carseat with the full 5 point harness system and make sure she's not in the middle. Put her behind the passenger seat that way if something does happen the seat in front of her will help, and you will both be able to see eachother.

MONA - posted on 08/19/2010

I have three kids ages 10, 8 & 2. I didn't go by weight restrictions. My kids were nall quite samll babies. My 2 yr old only weighs 26 lbs and is alomst 3. I changed them when their knees starterd to bend because of the back of the seat. My oldest's pediatrician didn't like rear facing seats. He says as soon as my daughter could sit up on her own, I should forward face her. I hope this helps in some way.

CJ - posted on 08/19/2010

My daughter was 20lbs by 8 months, but the doctor warned us not to switch her seat till she was a year, as weight is not the only important reason for keeping it rearfacing. Our doctor told us that they have you wait till a year, so that the child is sure to have strong enough neck muscles for the front-facing. That if we turned it around early, and something happened it could really damage her neck if her neck muscles were not strong enough to be in that position. We followed her advice and waited until just a few days before her 1st birthday to switch to front-facing. My daughter also hated being in a rearfacing carseat, especially as she was getting quite tall and she could no longer comfortably straighten her legs while rearfacing. Try getting a toy mirror that hooks to the seat and has toys connected, that helped our daughter a bit.

Ceri - posted on 08/19/2010

I did not turn my son forward facing untill about 4 months ago. He will be 3 on october 5th. He weighs 29 lbs. I WISH I could still rear face him. Better off unhappy than dead! The ONLY reason we turned him around is because the straps were hurrting his boy parts and I could not do that. GOOGLE REAR FACING VS FORWARD FACING and READ IT! It could save a life!

Heather - posted on 08/19/2010

Each country is different on the recomendations. I am in the US and the recomendation is BOTH 20 lbs and 1 year, however, more and more pediatrians are recomending to keep them rear facing as long as possible (max seat weight for rear facing in a convertible seat). My son was switch to front facing at 18 months, but he was 30 lbs and 36 inches. He didn't fit rear facing. I saw some information for either Switzerland or Sweden (can't remember which) that has kids face rear for like 5 years (they have special carseats for that). I would talk to your pediatrian. Mine came out and looked at him in his carseat when he was rear facing to determine when we should turn him. She said up to that point that it is better that he break a leg (which is very unlikely) than to risk the neck injuries from being turned too early.

Valerie - posted on 08/19/2010

Our pedi told us that they changed the rules and the babies are to be rear-facing to age 2. Our son turned 2 last week and we turned his car seat around 2 weeks ago. I know they (and we) don't like it, but they are apparently much safer this way. I would ask your pedi before making any decision.

Sharon - posted on 08/19/2010

My son is 14 months and 25 lbs and we still keep him rear-facing for safety. He can see outside just fine as well as interact with his 5 year old sister and I see no reason in rushing to turn him around.

Lindsay - posted on 08/19/2010

I have 2 1/2 year old b/g twins. They are about 26 lbs. each when we bought new carseats after their infant carriers we made sure to buy carseats with a higher rear facing weight limit. The seats I have the kids can sit rear facing until 36 lbs. My kids might be 5 before I change then forward facing j/k. It is safest to have a child rear facing if you were to be involved in an accident and it is more comfortable for their legs for longer car rides, their leg won't just dangle down.

Mary - posted on 08/19/2010

they MUST be 20 lbs AND 1 year old. Just get some toys with a mirror for her to look at. It's a safety issue, not a pleasure issue. Take a stand now and be the grown-up.

Dottie - posted on 08/19/2010

Hang a small mobile from the back window or something else to give her something to look at.

Jennifer - posted on 08/19/2010

Please keep her rear facing for as long as possible. The issue is safety not her being happy!. All of my kids HATED the infant carseat. Once they were 5 to 9 months old, I got a Britax Marathon seat. They LOVE their seat. It can be rear facing and forward facing when the time comes. They sit up higher in it so they can see things and were much happier. If you get into an accident and the child is forward facing they can have serious head/neck trauma which could easily kill them or give them severe spinal cord injuries and they will never be the same. I turned mine around once they were not comfortable being backwards anymore. Their legs got too long and they were squished. So please...safety first!!!!!!

Donna - posted on 08/19/2010

UK regs suggest 20lb or 9 months minimum, and I will wait as long as possible. They can use the infant seat until their ears reach the top of the car seat. I will wait that long I think.
I have the next seat already from my previous children so will not be buying another rear facing one, also my boys all suffer with car sickness - not your rveryday variery, but constant projectile vomiting after being in the car for over 30 mins - this is being medically treated, but I need to have them forward facing as constantly medicating them is more likely to cause damage than the chances of a collision - this is really a personal judgement call. Hopefully DS3 will be immune!
So rear is best, and certainly try for at least a year if you can.

Mia - posted on 08/19/2010

What's 18lbs in KG's? According to local standards and laws my boys were turned around as soon as possible 6months I think it is, they hated reward facing and tis a bit cruel they can't really see that much. I don't know about you but facing the back makes me a little queezy!

Sequoia - posted on 08/19/2010

the weight for the car seat is with clothing as well, so u might find her clothing weight tips her over the edge-it did for my little girl. We swapped her at 10 months cos her legs are too ong for the backward facing ones. ALthough it is much safer to leave them in backward facing as if you crash in a backwards one the worst they can do is break their legs, but in a forward facing all the weight is put on their ribcage hence crushing their lungs. SO for safety they recommend leaving them in backwards as long as is safe to do so, but if she hates it that much move her into a forward facing and just drive extra carefully!! Thats what we have done...

Rebecca - posted on 08/19/2010

I switched mine at 8 months but its was for a 10 lb baby so it was fine maybe you should invest in another seat !!

Jeanette - posted on 08/19/2010

I live in Sweden and here it is illegal to turn the child forward until they are 4 years old for safety reasons. I really don't see how the cilds curiosity and the child wanting to face forward could ever be more important than the childs safety in case of an accident. My oldest got carsick all the time, but still had a rearfacing seat until he was 4. We gave him a bucket and that was that. Of course I felt sorry for him, but we explained to him why it was necessary and he accepted it. Now he is 6 and I have a 3,5 years old that is really looking forward to facing forward like a "big child" and an 11 months old.

Valerie - posted on 08/18/2010

Rear facing really, really is MUCH safer. I reiterate what others have said about the maturity of neck and shoulder muscles.

I had a friend who turned her baby around at 4 months. She said his neck rolls would protect him in an accident. Another friend, who was/is a car seat safety tech, remarked that his fat head would just snap his tender little neck. Of course, as loose as the first mama kept her car seat straps, he would have been ejected anyway. It truly broke my heart to watch her put that baby in the car seat that way, but I could not convince her otherwise. (This was a moma who fed her children organic because she wanted what was "best" for them.) Tightening car seat straps was just to much work and they "complained." sigh

Others may have turned their babies around earlier with no problems, but you only have to have one bad accident for it to be 100% tragic for you. Avoiding this is the reason we use car seats and seat belts at all. You may never have an accident in which the car seats save their lives, but you just can't know for sure. Why take the chance?

(Coming from a mom whose 5 & 7 year olds still ride in 5 point harness car seats. shrug They are still my babies and I want to protect them when and how I can.)

V

Melinda - posted on 08/18/2010

I just know that when I was in the car accident with my son the only thing that mattered to me was his well being the car was totaled the accident was not my fault but if my child had been hurt I would have felt guilty. My OPINION is that why should you only go to the standards of the law of the city country why not go beyond them for the safety of your child.



I am sorry if my military bluntness offends you. You asked for opinions; take what you want to take and leave the rest

Amanda - posted on 08/18/2010

Here in Colorado the law states that a child has to be 20 lbs and 1 year old before being in a front facing seat they also just added to the law that children 8 years and younger have to be in either a car seat or a booster seat. Personally i wouldn't switch her there is a reason they have those laws it's called to many kids get severely injuries or die in care accidents from not being in their seat properly.

Erica - posted on 08/18/2010

My son is 8 months also he is in a rear facing seat but I have the combo seat rear and forward so it sits higher up and he can see more. He is 20 pounds but I have not changed him to forward facing. A lot of carseats are a year and 33 pounds before than can go forward. Laws in some states require that you keep rearfacing untill a year and in a booster till a certain hieght or age.

Sarah - posted on 08/18/2010

Oh and my C1 HATED the car. Couldn't wait until we could turn it around. Good luck!

Sarah - posted on 08/18/2010

My Dr. said the reason for the wieght limit has more to do with spine strength in case of a collision.

Angela - posted on 08/18/2010

I'm going to try to keep my son rear facing until 2 years old +
As his mother, his safety is the most important thing to me...... so much more important than being able to see out the window. I would buy activities that the child can use in the car.
People are in too much of a hurry to get to the next stage in children's development these days.

Tracey - posted on 08/18/2010

Hi there, I had the same issues with my son, I turned him around at around 9 months/9kilos (not sure of the pound conversion). If you'd prefer to keep her rearfacing for a while, try to put her in the middle of the backseat - if there is an anchor point! In my mum's car he much prefers this position!

Fran - posted on 08/18/2010

check the laws in your state. nj says to keep child in rear facing position until 1 years old AND 20 pounds. some ppl feel, including paramedics, to keep your child rear facing even until 18 months. the main reason to keep kids rear facing is to protect their neck if they are in an accident. turning them around too soon can compromise their safety. i know you may get some interesting replies from this question and some comments may even come off sounding mean. this is always a heated issue for some moms. but i can assure you after talking with firefighters and paramedics the overall recommendation is to keep your children rear facing for as long as possible and again do not even think of turning them around until they are 1 year AND 20 pounds. good luck.

Renee - posted on 08/18/2010

My suggestion it so keep her rear facing, and invest in a new car seat that does rear and forward facing, if she is still in the infant car seat. My Son hated the infant carrier but loves the Graco my Ride 65. He would scream in the car, even on the shortest trips and still does sometimes. When we got the new seat I installed it rear facing, and did a mirror on the back seat, it really helped. That car seat has cup holders and kids love them! I also have toys just for the car, and I listen to my music a little louder when he starts to get cranky. I think the idea of risking your child's life, because she gets upset in the car maybe needs a different outlook. What are you going to do when you do flip her and she still does not want to be in the seat? Let her not be in the seat at all? Just wondering.... The bottom line is, while I know I am a good driver, I have to assume all the other people on the raod are not. If I can prevent my son from getting hurt in an accident, I will do whatever I have to and put up with some crying. It might not seem like a big deal to flip her early, but ask the moms that have lost their children to car crashes, I bet they would feel pretty strong about taking every precaution! Good luck and I hope to you and all the moms on here that nothing bad happens to any of our children, no matter when we decide to flip the seat.

Holly - posted on 08/18/2010

In the US, the law is 1 year AND 20+ lbs. I kept my daughter rear-facing until she was 14 months.
I had a mirror for her that she loved. She could see herself and me. I also was given a portable DVD player which helped keep her entertained on longer rides. At 10 months, I bought a convertible seat. She was cramped in the infant seat. The first time she rode in her new seat, she was so happy and seemed very comfortable with the additional room and padding.

Rachael - posted on 08/18/2010

Melinda, that was terrible and unsupportive, YOU should be ashamed of yourself! There are MUCh better ways to get a point across and assist a mom in making a better decision than to berate her and try to make her feel guilty. We should SUPPORT each other! I too feel it is important for children to be rear facing up to the limits of their convertible car seat but I would NEVER try to make a mother feel bad for thinking of flipping the seat early. Yes, children whine about all sorts of things, but that does NOT make it any easier for a mom (especially a first time mom) to hear it wondering if it might stop if the seat was flipped. The video that Maya posted is a compelling (and nice/supportive) way to help Chelsea come to the safest decision. I do not mean to berate you, but please try to be kind, I have had too many women in these communities be rude unnecessarily lately. You are more than entitled to your opinions, but when you decide to share them please think twice about the wording you use.