Rear-facing Carseats Vs. Forward Facing Carseats

Hi J.,

Your child is WAY TOO YOUNG to face forward right now!!! She's okay with her knees bent. My son was that way and was fine- and he was a BIG baby. Your main concern is that, God forbid, you get in an accident, that your daughter's head and neck are as safe as possible. If she were to incur a whiplash injury, she is not developed enough, not yet strong enough to sustain that to her little body. Keep her rear facing and make sure you know and understand all the proper reccommendations for the seat you are using as well as the law in your state.

FIrst, make sure the car seat is secured in the car as tightly as possible. Dont be afraid to really exert some force when youre tightening the seatbelt. Car seats SHOULD NOT MOVE MORE THAN 1 INCH in IN EITHER DIRECTION. Verify the tightness each time you secure your child in the seat.

Make sure you properly secure your child in each time you buckle them. THERE SHOULD BE NO MORE THAN ONE FINGER
S WIDTH BETWEEN THE HARNESS STRAPS AND YOUR CHILD'S COLLAR BONE. Th harnesses should lay flat against the chest, not folded or twisted, and the harness’chest clips should be positioned roughly at armpit height.

Child safety seats should never be positioned near active airbags. Airbags deploy with an astonishing amount of force that can seriously harm young children and infants. Always install car seats in the back seat of a car or minivan. If the child will be riding in a car that is a two-seater, ONLY place them in if the AIRBAG CAN BE TURNED OFF.

REAR FACING SEATS in the back seat from birth to at least 1 year old AND at least 20 pounds.

4 Steps for Kids: Forward-Facing Toddler Seats


(INFANT) REAR-FACING SEATS in the back seat from birth to at least 1 year old AND at least 20 pounds.

FORWARD-FACING TODDLER SEATS in the back seat from age 1 AND 20 pounds to about age 4 AND 40 pounds.

BOOSTER SEATS in the back seat from about age 4 to at least age 8, unless 4'9" tall.

SAFETY BELTS at age 8 and older or taller than 4'9". All children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat.

Ignorance can be deadly! Please make sure you know everything you can to keep your child safe!

In Light,
J.

1 mom found this helpful

I too had inquired about turning my sons seat forward facing. I contacted the manufacture of his carseat and they told me that the law in ca is 20 pounds AND 1 year. I waited until my sons 1st birthday to turn him forward facing and he weighs 24 pounds. Britax told me that the infants spine can not handle a car accident forward facing before the age of one. So it is not only about the law but the safety of your child.

1 mom found this helpful

She has to be backwards for at least the first year. It is a safety issue.

ok, sorry i dont have a suggestion but i am also concerned about this.

my baby boy is enormous! he doesnt fit into the rear facing car seat anymore. hes so fat and long. he was 20 lbs at 7 months, he is now 8 months and i can barely carry him around let alone in that stupid little seat! i switched him to a front facing seat a week ago. i mean hes actually smaller than my oldest son who i had to switch to front facing at 4 months, becuase he was already 25 lbs (super cute chubbers!) he was also very long, i mean i know why they are big, my hubby and i are both about six feet tall. my daughter however was the right weight for her age but was super long, so she stayed in the rear facing seat for about a year.

the funny thing is the chart at the drs said that my baby was at the 50% mark. what? my oldest son was at 95 for height and actually off the chart for weight!!

anyway, what im trying to ask is why should age matter as much as height and weight?

im asking this for my kids are extremely advanced with their motor skills. my son was sitting up almost by himself at 2 months and crawled at 5 (i am praying that he waits to walk!!)
so i already know it isnt going to hurt his neck or back, so why the age thing?

also someone mentioned its because of frontal accidents? i am not convinced, because what if you get hit from behind or from the side? how is it more safe then?

Hi, as everyone is saying 20lbs, one year old. My daughter was 20 lbs at 6 mo. What you need to do is get a new carseat. I am assuming you still have the infant one you originally brought her home in? Now you need to get one of the huge bulky ones (: They cost a fortune, BUT they are usually good for up to 100ibs! So you will have it for a few years!! Get one that reclines since she is so young still, that way if she falls asleep, she is reclined. We did that around 4.5/5mo as well.

It's safest to keep your child in rear-facing seats for as long as possible, preferably up to a year in age. You also have to factor in on weight. If your rear-facing seat can hold up to 30 lbs., you should keep your daughter in the rear-facing position until she has reached the maximum weight. My daughter is 14-months-old at about 30 inches long and her pediatrician recommended keeping her rear-facing until she reached the carseat's maximum weight capacity. We are currently looking at forward-facing seats now because she is about a pound from the maximum weight, but we don't plan on installing it until she's there.

Hope that helps!

Emiy

Here is my favorite videos to share the importance of keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo

Also, here is the importance of using car seats vs booster for your toddler.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

C.~
www.HelpUstayHome.com

Hi J.,
20lbs AND 1 year is the law because of bone development--so I was told by the CHP. My son outgrew his infant rearfacing seat before 6 mo, so we bought a Britax Decathlon and had the CHP install it rear-facing until he is 1 year. He kicks the seat all the time b/c he is so tall, but it is safer than forward facing until 1 yr.

Good luck.

Anya

Hi J.,
20 lbs AND 1 year is the recommendation for forward facing. If she is too long for her infant carrier, you can move her to a convertible car seat (usually rear facing until 30 lbs and forward facing anywhere from 50-65 lbs depending on the brand) Kids are use to having their legs scrunched up so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Like a firefighter told me, "better to have a broken leg in an accident then a broken neck" Even though my daughter was 20 lbs by the time she was about 14 months, we left her rear facing until she was almost 2 since she didn't mind being rear facing and it is so much safer for them (when rear facing, the car seat takes the impact in an accident instead of their neck and back when they are forward facing.) Good luck!

Hi there.

Your baby's feet are fine up against the seat. Mine is 32in tall and still facing backward!

The car safety woman who I worked with to install my car seat said that despite what the manufacturers suggest, you should keep your baby rear-facing for as long as possible. It is simply the safer way to go. Her guideline, though, is 1year old AND 33lbs. Not one or the other, but both.

My son is 24lbs 8oz and 14 mos old. What you might consider is looking at the weight and height limitations on your current carseat. If your daughter is either taller or heavier than those limits, it's time for a new seat. Britax makes some very good seats that will accomodate your growing child seated backwards and eventually forward for a while!

Good luck!

Congratulations on the new daughter. My niece just turned the carseat around...her daughter turned one. It may vary from state to state. Check with your DMV to find out about your state.

The best thing to do is call CHP and ask when they can check the carseat to make sure it's set up correctly.

You definitely don't want to turn her around to face forward until she weighs 22lbs and turns 1. And it is safest to keep her rear-facing as long as possible, even after she reaches those bench-marks, just FYI.
Congratulations!!

Yes, legs hanging over the edge and touching the seat is common and not a worry. Keep her rear facing until at least 1 year of age AND at least 20 pounds. The longer the better, her spine is too vulnerable to be forward facing just yet.

I didn't read through all the responses, so I apologize if I repeat others. But the rule of thumb is 20lbs AND 1 year of age to turn forward facing. You can get a new seat that sits rear facing if she is too long for the carrier. But leave her rear facing as long as possible. Both of my kids were over 2 years old before we turned them around. A CHP officer while helping me with my seats once said, "legs bend, spines don't" when I had asked, what about their legs. Enough said for me!

M.

J.,

That isn't unusual and they just lay there with their legs bent. The law states that you can't go forward facing until they are AT LEAST one year old and AT LEAST 20 pounds, not either or. My older child outgrew his infant seat when he was 4 months old and we put him in a Britax convertible seat rear facing until he was old enough and big enough. The basic idea is that they are better protected from neck and back injuries when they are rear facing should you be involved in an accident. Many parents leave their kids rear facing until they meet the height & weight limits for rear facing for their particular seat.

:-)T.

Hi J.
I always used a carseat that faced forward and then put the kids in the backseat. Never put your daughter in the fron passenger seat as this is higly dangerous. Rather if she cries and you are drivin. Pull over and attend to her needs.
Hope this helps you.However I am from Sout Africa and we do not have any laws regarding this.I would best check with your paediatrician. Love and God bless.
H.

pls visit car seat.org for all ur concerns ..thanks

You can't turn her forward facing until she is one. Is your seat at the right angel? If my sons belts weren't tight enough he'd scooch down and his feet would touch the seat as well. Be sure her butt is all the way back in the car seat.

oh shes not old enough. state law is that they are to be 1 year old and 20-22lbs. i did move my daughter up early at 10 months because she was 18lbs and was totally squished in her rear facer. i would wait as long as possible to move her forward. at 4 months they just arent ready to sit that way and they are as safe as being rear facing.

Just got off phone with CHP regarding the same matter. CA law states that child must be 1 year old AND at least 20 pounds. My baby is 9 months, 16 pounds and 28 inch. Damnnn. You can call CHP for more questions. Meanwhile try a different car seat???? goodluck, I know the feeling.

Hello J. B,

You may safely move from rear facing to forward facing once the top of your daughters head is above the top of her infant safety seat. Please read the manual that came with your child's infant safety seat immediately. Always keep it in your vehicle for reference. I believe infant safety seats usually hold a child up to 22 pounds. Once she reaches the maximum weight for her current infant safety seat you may move her to a convertible car seat, not a booster. Those are for much bigger and older children. You can actually have your infant in a convertible car seat from birth as long as they are 8 pounds and over. The wonderful thing about a convertible car seat is that they last longer than the infant safety seat. Take your baby with you and try out some convertible car seats. Strap her in as many as you want to see if her legs will have more room. Switching to a convertible car seat right away would give her more leg room. However, you would still have to have her facing the rear. For most of us cost is relevent, but when you are shopping for your child's safety don't let money make up your mind. Make sure The seat is comfortable for her and safe. Since your daughter is so young you have time to shop around for the next seat. If possible play around with the car seats, working the locking mechanisms and the harness to see which one is most sufficient to use. The one type of car seat that I do not recommend is those that have the arm rest in front of the child. Its hard to describe, but these car seats have one large arm that you raise up and down to get the child in and out of the seat. The safety rating on those are very poor.

So, be sure to make the proper adjustments to her current safety seat so she can be safe and secure. Many people do not adjust the harness with the growth of the child and this is unsafe. Please remember to read the manuals, they really do help. You can also go to your local Highway Patrol Station where they have an expert on hand that can answer all your questions. You may want to call first. Congratulations on being a great mom. Enjoy.

I had the same situation with my son last year... his pediatrician explained to me that his body's muscles would not be able to handle a forward facing car accident and that it was imperative that he stay rear facing until he is one year old and at least twenty pounds. What worked for us was getting him out of the infant carrier and putting him in a forward / rear facing carseat - one of the big car seats. It allowed for more room for his long legs...

The rule of thumb is 20 lbs and 1 year as the min. to change her. Check to make sure your car seat is installed correctly- or you may need to adjust headrest, or straps. You may have to change from an infant carseat to a toddler carseat like the britax roundabout which can be intalled either way.
My daughter is 18 months and about 25 lbs and we just change her to foward facing, because rear facing is the saftest way as long as possible.

GOod luck-

California state law is that the child must be AT LEAST 1 year old and 20 pounds to be forward facing. Even after that if you can keep her rear facing for longer, it's the safest for them because their necks are not strong enough if they were to be in a crash.

Don't worry about her feet being crunched up! She's safer backwards!

This info is all online, you should look it up so that you are familiar with the laws.

M.

DO NOT turn your baby around until she's one year old AND 20lbs.!!! Babies aren't ready to turn around until they're one because their necks aren't strong enough to hold their heads up in a crash. They can't face forward until 20lbs. because the forward facing carseats are made to hold somebody 20lbs. and up. It is confusing, but be sure to read the owner's manual before you make any changes. I don't know where you live, but in Reno, where I live, you can have your carseat checked by the ambulance company.

I know that the Law is 20 pounds AND 1 year old. No either or. However I have heard recently that children should stay rear facing until the Maximum height/weight is reached for the convertible car seat. (30 inches/35 pounds, I think) I have been complaing about my 11 mo. old's feet being too long too and can hardly wait another month. even thoug she is only 4 months if her feet are hitting the backseat she definately shouldnt be in an infant carrier anymore, if thats what you hvae. I see kids all them time in them that are way too big. Get a convertable car seat (front/back). I LOVE our Britax Marathons. Its pricy but sooooo worth it. I will only have to get bosters for my girls when they outgrow these. It does seem akward for them to have their legs cramped up against the seat but switching them around is a BIG whiplash and neck breaking concern. it STINX. Enjoy your little girl, she'll be forward facing before you know it. =0)

Hi J., My 7 month old is 28 inches and 22 pounds. However, we've decided that she will face the rear for at least another year. The latest safety reports are that between 12 months and 24 months, the fatality rate and spinal injury rate sky rocket because of forward facing seats in collisions. I'd rather put up with my sweet daughter crying now than risk the unbearable. She is very strong and already standing and trying to walk, but that doesn't mean her little neck can withstand injury. We purchased the Britax Boulevard and it's HUGE and I can't say I like it, but it's rated #1, so......
Good Luck!

like all the other posters said, it's best and it's only legal to face rear until a year and 20 pounds. But many folks advocate much longer stays facing to the rear. I've seen pictures of 2, 3, 4 year olds facing the back! Sure their legs are all squished up, but it's much safer than the alternative.

I decided not to be an exptremist and began facing her forward a little after a year, but it is the MINIMUM.

Hi My name Is K. and I have a 11 month old who is tall for her age also. From what I've heard, your child has to be the required age ,which is one year, and weight which I think is around 25 to 30. She has her next checkup in early Nov so I will inquire then. Check with your doctor.

My pediatrician indicated that the baby should be rear-facing until 12 mos and it is a developmental issue not a size issue. There is greater likelihood of injury in a collision if the child is facing forward prior to age one.

J. B, check out your answers, they make a lot of sense!

Claudia L, Thanks for the videos... I just turned mine forward, but I think I like it better with him facing backward afterall. I'm going to have to make a change tonight. A little discomfort on his part will be forgotten. His head getting ripped from his spine, I don't think will be so easily forgotten.

i have a good friend who is a carseat installation expert and this is what she says. she has to be 1 year AND 22 pound before she can forward face. where i live this is not a reccomendation this is law. it is safer to rearface for longer, most convertible seats allow up to 35 pounds. but that is your call. dont worry about the legs, kids up to 4 years old can rearface, they find a position that is comfortable and they are fine. the idea behind it is that in the event of an accident it is easier to fix a broken leg than a broken neck. she is ok on her current seat until her head is less than an inch below the top of the car seat shell regardless of the leg length. hope that helps.

HOLD ON!!! I am car seat certified so I speak with knowledge. She can't be foreward until she is one year old. Reguardless of length or weight she has to be one year old. I know and understand that she looks uncomfortabe, but I promise it is the safest for her. Simply put her body is not yet developed enough to handle and impack from that direction without the proper aid from the carseat. Her little ligaments and muscles are not strong enough for that. Dagermans, a childrens store in Las vegas, which is across town from me in Henderson. Will check your car seat and educate you on them if you wish. It is a free service that they do. You also want to be sure that the shoulder straps are at the proper height behind her in the car seat and they can check that for you. I am so glad you put this out there! Go and get educated and all your friends will be greatful for the knowledge you have. Good luck!!

I was wondering the same thing, my daughter is 6 months old and well over 20 lbs. I was told 20 lbs or 1 year, because of their neck strength. I'm looking forward to any advice you are given. Good luck!!

Now you know you must stay backwards...I bought a infant car seat that goes to 30 lbs. And it was more expensive, and worth it. Your baby doesn't know that having his legs bent is uncomfortable. It wont hurt him, turning the car seat around will.

They recommend that babies stay rear facing until at least one year of age. With that said I remember getting a forward facing seat when my dd was 10 months old (but she was very tall). hope this helps: )

It has been 3 yrs, but I think your child must be 25 lbs and at least 1 yr old before you can do forward facing carseats. Inches have nothing to do with it.

Which car seat do you have? Babies MUST be rear-facing up until they are 1 year old AND 20 pounds. Actually, the longer they sit rear-facing the better. It is much safer for them. My son is 21 pounds and 10 months, and we still have him rear-facing. The doctor also checked in with me that we still have him rear-facing. 4 months is way too early to be forward facing and is very dangerous!

In terms of her feet being up against the back seat, I think that is somewhat normal (our son's are as well. But here are some things to check: Is your carseat at the correct angle? It should be 45 degrees from the ground. Is your seat on infant carrier? Is it on the base? Is your carseat too small for her? I would also check the height requirements for your seat, although I can't imagine that being the case at 26 inches. Overall, if the seat doesn't fit, you should get a new one. You can have your seat checked out at certain highway patrol centers and firestations where they have certified carseat installers to make sure it the seat is installed correctly. They are very helpful and will tell you if there is anything wrong with the installation (and there usually is :)

Hopefully this helps, and good luck! I also hope it is an easy fix for you!

From my understanding 4 months old is too young to put forward facing. I understand having tall children. Both of my boys grew out of their infant car seats at 3 months. I would suggest looking for a convertible car seat that may give her more leg room. Since both my boys were big I did end up having to move them to forward facing at 9 months simply because they had out grown the rear facing part of the convertible car seat. I was a little nervous about it but I asked their doctor and he said it was fine because of their height and weight. I say when in doubt check with your doctor.

They have to stay rear facing until they are one year old and at least 20 pounds, I believe. D.

I am sure you can read the verdict by now, rear facing as long as possible, the issue is that baby's necks are not strong enough to sustain the impact of a car accident when they are forward facing.

yes it's normal and it's illegal to put her forward facing this young and definately dangerous! It's ok for her legs to even be bent some in the car seat, try holding out on the forward facing seats until she's closer to 1 year

You're only supposed to change it when the baby is BOTH one years old and 20 lbs. Both have to be met.

Keep them rear facing at least till 2. Go to CHP for free and they'll check/adjust your seat for her. In Europe... they are rear facing till about 4. Go online and you'll find some interesting/scary videos showing why.

Hi J.,

This is something you really should discuss with your baby's dr. My Ped told me not until my baby was one even then he had me wait until she had ( full head control).
If your daughters legs are touching the back of the seat maybe a bigger-deeper car seat might help. good luck and god bless.

Your child MUST be one year old before you turn the seat around. My son's feet have touched for a while too. You may want to adjust the straps so she sit further into the seat and that would bring her feet back a bit.

Congratulations on your baby girl! Is she in an infant car seat or a convertible car seat? She should be in a rear-facing car seat until at least 22-35 pounds and 1 year old. Infants should not be forward facing until 1 year old. When my daughter was about 5 or 6 months old she was too long for the infant car seat so I put her in a convertible car seat that was rear facing. I hope this helps.

You can't turn her around legally until 1 year & 20 pounds (both are requirements, not one or the other), but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you keep kids rear-facing until age 2. It's MUCH safer to ride rear facing (child or adult) because of the forces & dynamics of a frontal crash. The other mom who wrote about the feet touching the seatback being okay is right. In fact, in many European countries (especially the Scandanavian ones) kids ride rear facing until 3 or 4 years old! My daughter will be two in a couple of weeks & is 34 inches tall & 32 pounds (about 85% percentile) & is riding rear facing in a Britax Boulevard. Her feet either touch the seat back, hang over the sides of the car seat or are Indian style depending on what she chooses, but she doesn't mind it at all, even on a road trip...You need to keep your daughter rear-facing for a while longer per the law, but if she isn't complaining you may want to do it for longer if you can. It really is much safer.

Hi J.,

Babies are suppose to stay rear facing until they are a year old and 22 pounds. This is because babies who are younger than a year don't have the strength in their necks to be able to support their heads if they are in an accident. They have convertible car seats that are bigger than infant carriers, and can be used either forward or rear facing. I suggest getting a convertible one for the time being. You are eventually going to have to get a different car seat anyway. Might as well get get all the use out of it that you can. The convertible seats are usually bigger maybe your little girl wont touch the back seat with her feet in it.

Good luck!!

L.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that Baby should be AT LEAST 1 year old and 20 lbs to be in a front facing seat.

Our pediatrician said to keep our daughter in a rear facing seat as long as possible, therefore our 19 month old is still in a rear facing position!! (I am going to have to change her soon though since she is very close to the height and weight limit for her seat).

I believe CA law is 20 pounds AND one year old.

The law (I think it is a law, anyway) is 20 pounds and a year old before they can face forward. It is totally normal for their feet to hit the back seat- my daughter is 16 months old (probably 24 pounds or so) and I still haven't moved her forward facing. A lot of experts are saying wait until the limit of the car seat is reached. My car seat is actually okay until 35 pounds, but I think I will move her before then. She isn't upset about facing backwards- she gets to look at her brother who faces forward- so I will wait a little longer. It is important that they have better head/neck control in case of an accident.

Keep her rear facing! :)