Rear Facing Car Seats!

I don't care what your state laws say, rear face your child in their car seat as long as possible! In fact, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association, there isn't a single state that mandates rear facing after 1 year old, or 20 lbs. This is a gross oversight and, frankly, should be changed. Most people believe that "flipping" the car seat from rear to forward facing is a right of passage and a special milestone to reach at the age of 1 year old. I have spoken with people who believe that this flipping is important and exciting for a 1 year old, but guess what? Your child doesn't care! If you don't flip them they won't know they are missing anything. Let's leave it at cake smashes and new walkin' shoes for 1 year old traditions, shall we? Personally, I dread the day that I will have to flip Esme. Why? Well, here's why.

Esme reading a book while waiting
in the parking lot for Daddy.

First and foremost, the American Association of Pediatricians recommend that you keep your child rear facing as long as your car seat specifications will allow. For example, we have the Graco My Ride 65: Prentis. The specifications on that allow Esme to rear face until 40 pounds. Until the scale says 40.0 pounds we will not be flipping the seat. After 40 lbs, we will flip the car seat and it is recommended that she use the 5 point harness system until she maxes out on the weight for the seat(in our case, 65 lbs, but now they make car seats with a max weight of 70lbs). She is currently just under 21 pounds, so we have a long while to go.

Prior to 2011 the AAP had said that the minimum for flipping a child was 1 year and/or 20 pounds, which is reflected in many state laws. In April of 2011, the AAP revised their recommendation to a minimum of 2 years.

Wait, 2 years, with no weight limit? What?

The reasoning for that comes from a little lesson in human development. Babies' (and toddlers') necks are cartilaginous, meaning their necks, holding their big 'ol bobble heads to their body, are largely cartilage as opposed to hard boney material. Around 2 years old is when the important process of ossification (cartilage turning to bone) begins. Note: it is when it begins, it can take until 3-6 years to actually complete. Before ossification happens, children are at a much higher risk for severe spinal injury. One haunting term that is commonly used is "internal decapitation". This is why it doesn't really matter if your 18 month old child is the size of a 3 year old, chances are they still haven't reached that important developmental milestone.

According to the Journal of Injury Prevention (per CNN), children rear facing before 2 years old are 75%  less likely to die or be severely injured in a car accident as opposed to forward facing. I am going to say that number again: 75 percent! Furthermore, carseat.se says that out of 100 children in an accident, only 8 rear facers will be seriously injured or die. This is opposed to 40 forward facing children who will be seriously injured or die in an accident. For the record, that is a 500% increase. For illustration purposes, I made this representation of that data:

Personally, I would rather not take my chances on the wrong side of that big red line.

The two most common arguments I hear against extended rear facing are, firstly, "doesn't that put them at a greater risk of leg or hip injury?". To which I answer, "I am not sure, I do not have the statistics on that, but a broken leg or hip is much better than a broken neck. Some extended rear facing die-hards have asked, 'cast or casket?'". The second most common question is, "Well, won't they get bored facing backwards, don't they need to be stimulated more?", to which I say, "they can be plenty stimulated while rear facing. Provide books, toys, and sing songs with them in the car". Again, to me it isn't worth the risk. I would rather Esme scream from boredom on a 13 hour car ride than take the chance of a serious injury.

The fact of the matter is rear facing is safer for everybody. You, me, my grandma, your uncle, my husband's eighth cousin once removed, everyone would be better off rear facing. However, that is not logistically possible. It is possible, however to keep toddlers rear facing. Again, the American Association of Pediatricians is a huge panel of doctors (60,000 primary care providers, surgeons, and specialists) say that children should be rear faced as long as possible and definitely not before 2 years old.

I will finish this blog with two things. (1) link to crash test videos comparing rear and forward facing collisions. Please, watch the strain on the neck of the child forward facing compared to the rear facing child and ask yourself which one you would rather be your child? And (2) an adorable picture of my rear facing child, which you can try and convince yourself that she is unhappy not facing forward.