car seat safety

toddler car seat — Car seat recommendations are constantly changing. Five years ago, when these kiddos were little, they were turned forward facing on their 1st birthday. Today, toddlers stay backwards until they are at least two years old.

I have never felt so inept as I did when trying to decide what car seat to buy for my children. It started with the carrier and has continued on to the booster. Why is it so difficult? Because frankly, there are too many choices out there–too many models, to many brands, too many price points–just too many of everything! Phew–time to take a deep breath and start at the beginning–what exactly are the different kinds of car seats, and which one does your child need? Enter Erin Malone, MPH, a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and Injury Prevention Coordinator at CHOC Children’s Hospital in Orange County, California who breaks it all down for us.

From Erin:

Walking down the car seat aisle can be an overwhelming experience. With so many options these days, it’s hard for parents to know what seat is most appropriate for their child. Here are the main types of seats and what you need to know to help you make an informed decision…

REAR-FACING SEATS

In a frontal collision (the most common kind of crash), the shell of the seat [Read more…] about Which Car Seat is Right for Your Child?

025 — 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…] about Rear-Facing or Forward-Facing–What To Do and When To Do It