The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently published a new policy that advises parents to keep toddlers in rear-facing car seats until the age of two or when they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. The AAP also recommends that most children ride in a booster seat that has belt-positioning until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between eight and 12 years of age. Previous guidelines cited keeping children up to 12 months old and 20 pounds in a rear-facing car seat.
“The transition to a forward-facing car seat should be delayed until the child reaches the height and weight maximums for his or her current car seat,” says C. Ashley Wright, M.D., pediatrician on the medical staff at Houston Northwest Medical Center. “The head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers are better supported by a rear-facing child safety seat in the event of an accident. For larger children, a forward-facing car seat with harness is safer than just a booster seat, and then a booster seat with belt-positioning would provide more protection than only a seat belt until the seat belt would fit correctly.”
A properly installed car seat should be snug and not move more than one inch forward or sideways. Parents should follow manufacturer’s instructions to make sure the seat is positioned at the proper angle so the baby’s head does not tilt forward. For booster seats, the shoulder belt should lie across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not near the face or neck. The lap belt should fit low and snug across the hips and upper thighs, not across the stomach.
“All children should ride in a car seat or be properly restrained on every trip, regardless of how far they are going or if by traveling by car or in an airplane,” adds Dr. Wright. “Older children should ride using lap and shoulder belts in the back seat until they are 13 years old.”
For information about children’s healthcare services at Houston Northwest Medical Center, visit www.hnmc.com/children.