This information was published Monday, March 21st
CHICAGO — Children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1, according to updated advice from a medical group and a federal agency.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued separate but consistent new recommendations Monday.
Both organizations say older children who've outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits them. Booster seats help position adult seat belts properly on children's smaller frames. Children usually can graduate from a booster seat when their height reaches 4 feet 9 inches
Children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat, the guidelines from both groups say.
Read the entire story here
Policy State from the American Academy of Pediatrics
4 comments:
I am all for safety, however, it will be very hard to get my older children back into boosters... Alana
Okay- being a mom that was so vigilant about the car seats when my kids were babies- I have many thoughts on this. As far as toddlers riding backwards until 2 years old. If that were in place when my kids were that age- they would have had their knees up in their ears. Their legs were FAR too long at the age of 1 when we turned them around & were extremely uncomfortable- so much so that we had to limit the amount of time we spent traveling.
As far as boosters- I still have 1 kid in one right now at the age of 8. My 10 & 13 year olds just got out of them not to terribly long ago because they are so thin. But with the current guidelines- I have a family member that would have been required to ride in one when she was a senior in high school because she was so short & thin back then. I think that is a bit extreme.
I do agree with keeping kids under 13 in the back. I do follow that one because the hubs is a fireman & has seen what a front airbag can do to a child. Not good.
I saw that article too and had the thought of I'm glad I'm past the baby stage now. My kids too were very tall for their age, so to have them rear facing for that long would have been really hard on their legs - absolutely no where to put them other than their near their noses! We all sighed with relief when they could turn around. But I have nieces who are so tiny that it would have worked for them - I think it was close to two for them before they even reached 20 pounds, so they were rear facing for quite awhile. I still have Ana in her booster seat - she is almost 8 and had David in one until he reached 4'8". They don't mind it for now - though it will take Ana longer to reach 4'8 than it did David - I figure we can play it by ear at that point when she starts to feel too grown up for a booster.
I think this is just ridiculous. I don't think the governement needs to tell us how to put our kids in the car. My son is 12 and is so tall, but very skinny. His head would probably hit the ceiling of our van if he had to sit in a booster seat. Not to mention I think those seats are way too uncomfotable to hold a child that old. And it is also mortifying for the older kids to be put in car seats.
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