Rear-Facing or Front-Facing? That is the Question

Did you hear about the new car-seat recommendations? Changes in the American Academy of Pediatrics' car seat policies received quite a bit of press this week. These new guidelines have some parents alarmed that they may have switched their child to forward-facing seats too early.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' new policy, children should remain rear-facing in their car seats until age 2 or when they exceed the height and weight requirements of their seats. This is a change from the old recommendation, which was age 1 and at least 20 pounds or until they exceed the height and weight requirements.

The Journal of Injury Prevention did a study in 2007 that found children younger than 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are in a rear-facing seat. A rear-facing seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine in a crash, because it distributes the force over the entire body in a collision.

This new standing has brought about a great deal of discussion about what to do if you turned your child around too early, squished legs, and even a forward-facing-vs.-rear-facing-seats debate. Click here to see the full article. 

Car seats and child safety has been debated for years. Proper installation and use; "this brand over that brand"; changing guidelines and product safety make the issue of car seats a difficult - and sometimes confusing - topic of discussion for parents.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has two links that may be helpful in making the appropriate decision for your family: The policy statement and the report on child passenger safety.

Change is often a difficult thing, but when it comes to car seats and child safety, change tends to spark discussions. We want to hear from you on your thoughts and experiences with front-facing vs. rear-facing car seat guidelines.