Keep Car Seats Rear-Facing Until Age 2

Children should stay in rear-facing car seats until age 2 or until they grow too big for seat specifications, according to revised guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please watch the video below for more information.



The updated AAP recommendations are as follows:

• All infants and children should be in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they outgrow the height and weight specifications of the seat.

• Once children outgrow a rear-facing seat, they should be placed in forward-facing car seats with harnesses until they exceed the height and weight criteria.

• After forward-facing seats are no longer suitable, children should be placed in belt-positioning booster seats until the vehicle's lap-and-shoulder seat belt fits properly -- with the lap portion fitting low across the hips and pelvis and the shoulder portion fitting across the middle of the shoulder and chest -- usually when a child reaches 4 feet 9 inches or around ages 8 to 12.

• Lap-and-shoulder seat belts should be used at all times for children who have outgrown booster seats.

• All children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat at all times.

Watch for Ken Goore discussing these changes on KCRA Channel 3 News at Noon and 5:00 pm this evening.

~Jennifer Reed

5 Car Seat Safety Tips you Need to Know!

 

Discussed on Good Morning America, 5 extremely important tips that all parents should know about car seats safety by the “Car Seat Lady”, we’re featuring this video here on Goore’s Insider. Sad to say, it's said that 95% of parents misuse car seats. We know most parents want to provide the best safety for their children and parent’s intentions are good. In this video many tips are discussed, such as, what to do when you have more than one child in car seats, the benefits of rear-facing, at what age to use a booster seat, when your child is ready to not sit in a booster seat, and simple tips to fit your infant in their car seat with safety and comfort in mind.

Some wonder why children should be rear-facing for so long, especially when one has a child whose feet are touching the car’s seat, we urge parents to rear-face because it's 5 times safer than those riding forward-facing. If able, we recommend that the car seat is placed in the center of the back seat as well. The center is 43% safer than the side because you cannot take a direct hit if you are sitting in the center.
 

When is your child ready for forward facing in their car seat? The American Academy of Pediatrics says: When they are too big for rear-facing in their convertible seats. Most kids are 2 or 3 years old when they are too big. "Too Big" means either too tall or too heavy.

Too Tall: If head is within one inch of the top of the child safety seat.

Too Heavy: If child is 30 or 35 pounds--it depends on which seat you have.

NOTE: It is OK for the child’s feet to touch the vehicle seat. This is SAFE and is NOT uncomfortable.

We strongly advise you to watch the above video to get more details on car seat safety. Remember, every car seat is different so it's important to check your car seat instruction manual and/or labels to determine the weight and height requirements for your car seat.

~Jennifer Reed