An Easy-To-Follow Guide To Choosing Your Infant Car Seat Rear Facing Keep Your Child in an Infant Car Seat Rear Facing

Keep your child in an infant car seat rear-facing is the best option. Children should only be moved to a forward-facing car seat once they outgrow the weight and height limits of their current car seat.

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Safety Benefits

Rear-facing infant car seats are the most secure option for infants and young babies. This is because they are able to support and cradle their head and neck. Purva Grover MD, director of Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Emergency Departments, explains that since their spines are not yet fully ossed, it is crucial to keep the force from the crash away from their necks and head. In a frontal crash, the baby's head will hit the seat infront of them. This can cause whiplash that is extremely painful or even fatal. In a rear-facing seat however, the impact is absorbed by the seat and then dissipated in the back of the vehicle. Adele says, "It feels like a hug." The child's legs can also be secured into the car seat to protect them from being thrown against the back of the front seat or any other surface in the vehicle. "This prevents them from hitting their own body, which could cause internal injuries," she explains.

Many parents are against ERF because they fear their child may become bored or uneasy. Neither has been true for my son, Lukas. In fact Lukas prefers to ride backwards because the recline feature allows him to stretch his legs while reading an article or watch TV.

If you have children who are hesitant to be rear-facing due to their leg length or other reasons, convince them that this is the best option. Explain that the child can remain in the convertible or all-in one car seat as long as the weight or height limits are not exceeded.

Be sure to secure your child in a rear-facing seat by using the lower anchor system of the vehicle or a seat belt. Don't allow them to wear bulky clothes, such as winter coats, since they can be compressed during a crash, causing the harness straps to loosen and place your child at risk of injury. Use the Pinch Test when fitting your child's harness.

Convenience

Many parents prefer to keep infant car seats facing rear as long as they can, because they are more user-friendly and more mobile than convertible seats. If you keep your child rear-facing, they may need to be put in a crib or a bassinet for nap or bedtime. This could mean waking the sleeping child which isn't ideal. The benefits of rear-facing outweigh this inconvenience, however.

The headrest is lower for preemies and newborns than for full-term infants. This reduces the impact of an accident. It also ensures that the chest clip on the harness is at the shoulders, and not at the neck. This is essential for premature infants who have bones that are weak and are not fully ossedified following birth or pregnancy.

The rear-facing position also allows you to see your baby much better than when they are facing forward. This lets you easily check their behavior and ensure that they are comfortable and happy. Many infant car seats have a built-in mirror that can be adjusted to ensure that you can see your child at any angle.

When your child is no longer in their car seat as infants or attains the weight or height limit set by their seat manufacturer You can then switch to a convertible or all-in-1 car seat that will allow them to remain rear-facing until they reach two years old. Some models even have higher rear-facing limits than the rear-only seats, meaning they are able to be used for longer.

Convertible or all-in-one car seats are known for their versatility. They can be used in rear-facing, forward-facing, or as belt positioning boosters. They are also easy to set up and take down due to their large base in the back of your vehicle. They are more expensive than single-use infant car seats, however, they last longer than an infant car seat and will save you money in the long run.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ride rear-facing until the maximum height and weight limits that are set by the car seat manufacturer, or until they are at minimum two years old. It's common for children to outgrow their rear facing infant car seat before they reach the age of two. But, it's always better to wait.


Weight Limits

You must be aware that all car seats for infants have height and weight restrictions. Most infant car seats have a weight limit of 30 to 35 lbs and a height limit of about 30 inches, based on the model. If your child is reaching these limits, it's time to move on to the next level of safety. This could be a convertible car seat that can change between rear facing and forward facing, or an all-in-one seat that lets your kiddo ride rear facing until they reach the maximum height and weight recommended by the manufacturer.

Aside from a height and weight limit, there are other indicators that show your child is prepared for the next phase of car seats, such as their level of comfort while riding rear-facing. You can look for these indicators in your child's behavior and compare it to other children similar to them in their car seats. You can also seek help from a certified child passenger safety technicians at a car seat inspection station which are often operated by local government agencies or community groups.

It is recommended to keep your child rear-facing 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 still avoid this temptation by making sure your child's seat is properly installed and don't rush to switch them to a forward-facing seat too quickly, even if they're close to the limit of weight or height of the car seat they're currently in.

If you're unsure whether your child is ready for the next stage in their car seat or you're worried you might not have installed their current car seat in a correct manner, reach out to a certified child safety technician. These experts are available through community organizations such as hospitals and local government offices and child passenger safety programs. You are able to locate one near you by searching online or contacting your local health department or public safety agency. There are also car seat check events that are mobile that will visit your workplace or at home to help ensure you have the right equipment and are using it correctly.

Installation

A car seat must be installed correctly in order to be effective. The NHTSA has found that almost half of car seats are set up incorrectly. This includes rear-facing seats. The best way to make sure that your child's car seat is correctly installed is to study the manual and have it professionally verified by a certified vehicle safety technician.

The angle check is the first step towards installing an infant car seat that faces rearwards. Check that the car seat base is at a safe angle to support the weight of your child that is visible on the indicator on the side of the base or in the user's manual.

It is also important to ensure that the baby's head is positioned correctly in the seat. Babies have heavy heads and soft necks and the forward-facing position could put pressure on their necks and spine during a crash. If a rear-facing collision occurs the back of the car seat absorbs the majority of the crash force, which protects the baby's delicate neck as well as spinal cord.

Once car seats newborn has reached the weight or height limit of the infant car seat, it's time to move to a convertible seat or an all-in-one car seat. They can be used in a rear-facing position until the front-facing limit. If you decide to switch to a convertible or an all-in-one car seat, make sure that the new model has a higher rearward-facing limit. Older models have lower limits.

Parents who frequently transport their children in cars will appreciate the ability to select an infant car seat that is removable and connected to strollers. It can be challenging and time-consuming to move your car seat and stroller into and out of your vehicle every time, especially when you have a baby. This is a great option for a lot of families, when they are willing to invest the time to get it right every time. Make a plan and pick the day you will have plenty of time.