What Infant Car Seat Rear Facing Experts Would Like You To Learn
Keep Your Child in an Infant Car Seat Rear Facing
Insuring that your child is in a car seat that is facing rearwards is the most secure option. Children should only be able to switch to a forward-facing car seat when they outgrow the height and weight limits of their current seat.
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Safety Benefits
Rear-facing infant car seats are the best option for infants and young babies. This is because they support and cradle their head and neck. Purva Grover MD, director of Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Emergency Departments, says that because their spines aren't fully ossed, it is crucial to keep the force of a crash away from their heads and necks. In a frontal crash, the baby's head can hit the seat in front of them. This can result in a whiplash that is severe or even fatal. However, in the rear-facing car seat the impact is absorption by the seat and then dissipated through the rear of the vehicle. Adele says, "It feels like a hug." The child's legs can also be tucked in the car seat to keep them from being thrown into the back of the front seat or any other surface in the vehicle. "This helps to prevent collisions with their bodies, causing internal injuries," she explains.
Many parents avoid ERF because they think their child will be bored or uncomfortable. My son Lukas has never been uncomfortable or bored. In fact, he prefers to ride rear-facing because the seat's recline feature allows him to sit on his legs and read a book or watch tv.
If you do have a child that isn't keen on being in a rear-facing car seat because of leg length or other reasons Try to convince them that it's the safest way for them to travel. Explain that they can stay in their convertible or all-in-one car seats as long as they do not exceed the height or weight limits that are set by the seat's manufacturer.
Be sure to secure your child in a rear-facing seat using the lower anchor system of the vehicle or a seat belt. Don't let them wear bulky clothing, such as winter coats. They can expand in the event of a crash, making the harness straps loosen. This puts your child at risk of injury. Make sure to use the Pinch Test when fitting your child's harness.
Convenience
Many parents prefer keeping infant car seats rear-facing as long as possible because they are easier to use and more mobile than convertible seats. If you choose to keep your child rear-facing, he or she may have to be placed in a crib or bassinet during nap time or at bedtime. This could mean waking the baby who is sleeping which is not optimal. The security advantages of rear-facing overshadow the inconvenience, however.
The headrest is lower for preemies and newborns than for full-term babies. This helps reduce the impact force and also ensures that the harness's chest clip is located below their shoulders rather than at their necks. This is crucial for premature infants with bones that aren't strong enough and are not fully ossedified following birth or pregnancy.
The position that faces the rear allows you to see your baby better than a forward-facing position. This allows you to easily observe their behavior and make sure they are happy and comfortable. Push Chairs And Prams have a built-in mirror that can be adjusted to ensure that you can observe your child from any angle.
You can use convertible car seats or an all-in one seat to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight or height limit. Some models even have higher rear-facing limits than rear-only seats which means they can be used for longer.
Convertible car seats or all-in-one seats are known as versatile. They can be used in forward-facing or rear-facing positions, or as a belt-positioning booster. They are also easy to set up and take down because they have a large base that is located at the rear of your vehicle. They're more expensive than single-use infant car seats however, they last longer than an infant car seat and can save you money in the long run.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children remain rear-facing until they have reached the maximum weight and height limits set by the car seat manufacturer or are at least 2 years older. It's common for children to outgrow their rear facing infant car seat before they turn two years old. However, it's best to wait.
Weight Limits
All infant car seats come with weight and height limits you need to be aware of. Most infant car seats have a weight limit of 30 to 35 lbs and the height limit is around 30 inches, depending on the model. If your child is reaching these limits, it's the time to move to the next stage of safety. This could be a convertible car seat that allows you to be switched between forward and rear facing, or an all-in-one seat that lets your child ride rear facing until they reach the maximum height and weight recommended by the manufacturer.
In addition to the weight and height limit, there are also other indicators that show your child is prepared for the next stage of a car seat, such as their level of comfort while riding rear facing. You can find these indicators in your child's behavior, and compare it to other children similar to yours in their car seats. You can also ask for help from certified child passenger safety specialists at a car seat inspection station, which are often run by local government agencies or community organizations.
It's recommended to keep your child rear-facing for as long as you can. This is the reason why many parents wait until their children are fully mature before they switch them over. But you can ward off this temptation by making sure your child's seat is properly installed and you don't rush to transition to a forward-facing one too soon even if they're not close to the weight or height limits of the car seat they're currently in.

Contact a certified child passenger technician if there are any concerns about your child's readiness for the next stage of car seats or if you are concerned that you may not be installing the car seat correctly. These specialists are available through local community organizations, government offices, and child safety programs. You can find one close to you by searching online or calling your local health department or public safety agency. There are also mobile car seat check-in events that can visit your workplace or home to help ensure you have the right equipment and are using it correctly.
Installation
Installing a car seat correctly is crucial to its effectiveness. Sadly the NHTSA states that nearly 50% of car seats are incorrectly installed (and this includes rear facing). The best way to make sure that your infant car seat is installed correctly is to read the instruction manual and have it professionally examined by a certified car safety technician.
Checking the angle is the first step in installing a rear-facing infant car seat. You can check the angle of the base on the side or in the user manual to make sure it is safe for your child's weight.
It is also important to ensure that the head of your baby is positioned correctly in the seat. Babies have large heads and soft necks, and the forward-facing position could cause pressure on their neck and spine in a crash. In a rearward-facing collision the back of a car seat absorbs most of the crash force. This protects the baby's neck and spinal cord.
When your baby is at the height or weight limit of the car seat they were in as infants, it is time to transition to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat, which can be used in the rear position until your child reaches their front-facing limit. If you decide to change to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat, make sure that the new model has a greater rearward-facing limit. Older models have lower limits.
If you opt for an infant car seat that can be detached from the car and re-attached to a stroller, this is a great option for parents who want to take their infants into and out of the car often. It can be challenging and time-consuming to maneuver your stroller and car seat into and out of the vehicle every time, especially in the case of a newborn. If you're willing to invest the extra time each time to do it right, this could be a great option for many families. Make sure to think ahead and pick a date when you have plenty of time spare.