Rear-Facing or Forward-Facing–What To Do and When To Do It

At 4 years old, and 40 pounds, my son faces forward. But, my daughter, at 16 months and 18 pounds, remains rear facing.

In the three years between when I had my first born to second born, a lot had changed. New strollers, joggers with front swivel wheels, a whole new array of toddler snacks, and one of the most important things–recommendations on car seats. When my son turned one, I was so excited to have him face forward that I switched the car seat around on the day of his first birthday. Then, I had my daughter and I was hearing that parents should wait to turn them from rear-facing to forward-facing. But wait for what? A certain age? A weight milestone? Breezy Mama turned to Pediatrician Dr. Jon Conti for some answers. –Alex

Four years ago, the thing to do was to turn your child from rear-facing to forward-facing on their first birthday–this is no longer so? What is the new recommendation?
Although the official recommendation remains (once a child is 1 year old AND at least 20 pounds they may be turned around), compelling new data is emerging.  In April 2009, the official news magazine of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) declared that rear-facing car seats are safer for children.  The article cited that toddlers between the ages of 12 & 23 months who ride rear facing are 5 times safer and 75% less likely to experience serious injury or die than their forward-facing peers.  More telling perhaps is the 2005 Swedish study detailing 17 years of accident data showing that the highest injury-reducing effect was Read More…

The School Bully – How to Protect Your Child

They come in all shapes, genders and sizes, and when they turn on your child, it can be torture. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated their policy to encourage pediatricians to view bullying as a health issue due to teen and adolescent suicides related to repeated taunting. Their definition says, “Bullying is when one child picks on another child repeatedly. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. It can happen at school, on the playground, on the school bus, in the neighborhood, or over the Internet.”

Pediatrician Dr. Shakha Gillin told Breezy Mama that as a result, doctors now, “Screen for bullying and encourage positive relations for children.” She also emphasized, “that bullying can be a huge issue on the Internet. It is important for families to discuss with their children appropriate uses of the computer, and how to avoid being bullied on the Internet.”

Dr. Gordon Caras, PhD, A.P.C. of the SD Psychoanalytic Institute gave Breezy Mama tips on what to do when your child is the victim of a bully and advice if it’s your child that’s the accused culprit.

If a parent comes to you with a distressed child because of a school bully, what is the first thing you advise them?

I first Read More…