The American Academy of Pediatrics updated their guidelines for child passenger safety in April 2011, recommending children stay in rear-facing car seats until the age of two.
But a new report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health shows that many parents turn their child’s seat to face forward before their second birthday.
The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked parents of children 7 to 48 months old about their use of rear-facing car seats. The study found that 73 percent of parents switched their child from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing car seat before the age of two. Thirty percent of parents turned their child’s seat to face forward before their child reached 1 year of age.
“Research has shown that riding in a rear-facing car seat is up to five times safer for toddlers than riding in a forward-facing car seat,” says Dr. Michelle Macy, a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the Medical School. “Parents want to keep their children safe, but they may not be aware of the safety benefits of keeping their child rear-facing beyond their child’s first birthday.”
Rear-facing car seats can prevent serious injury to children involved in front-end motor vehicle collisions, Macy says.
“When a child is sitting in a rear-facing car seat, the stopping forces are spread out over their entire back. The back of the car seat is a cushion for the child,” Macy says.
