The American Academy of Pediatrics has published new recommendations for using infant car seats. The big news is a push to keep infants in rear facing car seats for up to 2 years, if possible. Recent reviews of available crash data suggest a significant decrease in both injury and death, particularly following side impact collisions, when children are kept in rear facing car seats between 12 and 23 months. The “if possible” may prove a significant caveat, since many children will outgrow the recommended size limits for their car seats long before 24 months and some families may find that the back seat in their vehicle will not accommodate a larger rear facing seat.
Nonetheless, it is worth remembering that there is no rush to turn children around when they hit their first birthday. They are safer facing backward for a while longer. So long as they still fit!
For more information, follow this link:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/News/pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-on-Car-Seats.aspx