What's the Best Age to Let My Baby Face Forward in the Car?

when it's legal. doesn't it vary state to state?
i know the recommendations yaw wildly all over the place, and you can see appalling videos of the what-ifs. but unless we're all going to sit facing backwards just in case, at some point you have to stop going worst-case-scenario for everything.
khairete
S.

I guess the current recommendation is over 2 yrs old and if you can keep at it till they are closer to 4 yrs old the better.
It just seems excessive to me.
Our son is 16 and the recommendation at the time was 1 yr.
What I want to know is - if facing backward is so much better, then WHY don't the passenger seats in cars just face backward to begin with?
That way all passengers would face backward (except for the driver) at all ages.

I always thought it had to do in part with the child's size and ratio of head to body. The dangers with the relatively heavy head whipping forward in a crash are significant. But I think people really push it too early. It's really not important that the child "enjoy the ride" - kids would enjoy it more if they didn't wear seat belts too.

This may be helpful because it explains the mechanics of a baby's neck ligaments in the event of a crash: http://www.carseat.org/Resources/FAQs.htm

This is from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which says 2 or older:
http://www.parenting.com/article/car-seats-safety.

I think you should consult with your pediatrician, who would have a better handle on your child's growth/weight and head-to-body ratio. In many towns, the firefighters (who are the first responders in the event of a car crash and whose paramedics are transporting injured children) also do car seat checks and help with installation as well as advising you about making changes. You could call the non-emergency number and ask if they do this.

2+ years.

My DD FF til she was 4.5 and just crossed her legs. She was fine. She didn't get carsick til we turned her around. Please don't push it if your child is not yet 2.

I turned my daughter a few months after she turned two. I would've kept her backwards longer if her legs weren't getting so long. Facing the back would prevent potential internal decapitation -- there are lots of Youtube videos on this. The chances of anyone getting into an accident big enough to cause it is probably slim, but it's better to be safe than sorry. In Europe, which has higher safety standards for almost everything from food to baby gear, kids are kept rear facing until they're 4-5 years old.

i had to flip my son at 12.5 months. he would vomit if the ride was longer than 20 minutes... so i flipped him foreward facing and the vomiting stopped (except for traffic jams and rides longer than an hour.
if the laws in your state allow it then just do it.

We turned the boys at a year.

Based on a friend of mine we should all still be rear facing. The safety recommendations change ALL THE TIME and all 3 of my babies were turned around at 12 months. That was the law at the time, they were the legal size, and it was better for everyone. There were never any issues. My kids are 8, 10, and 12 - so I'm not talking as though they are grown adults.

2+years. My youngest was rear-facing until he was 3. My oldest is 17 so back then, the recommendation was 1 year. I turned him around at 10 months because he was as heavy and tall as a 1 year old because I didn't understand that it was about neck strength and spine development and not about length and weight. I'm horrified that I did that and grateful we didn't get into any accidents!

My son (17 months) is already facing forward. We did it a few months ago. He outgrew his car seat and the next size up I had that fit him is forward facing.
Both my older kids turned around shortly after a year, because back then we got the all clear at 12 months. That was only a few years ago. I don't think much has changed on the roads since then.

2 years. It has to do with neck strength, nothing else. My first got turned around at 1yo. The second at 2yo. The recommendations changed between the two. If it was for a stupid reason, I'd think about ignoring the recommendations. But it's not.

Check the law in your state. VA is super stringent about boosters so they may be about this also. For my first one, I turned about 18 months but the recommendations at that point were one year. For #2, the recommendations had changed - and so had the info on the car seat so I kept him backwards until his 2nd birthday.

I know he's kind of scrunched in there, but he's fine. Seriously. At that age, they're tremendously limber.

The deal is that, until they're about 2, their cervical spine (neck) is not strong enough to handle the whiplash motion which occurs some collisions. It's much safer to keep him rear facing for just 6 months more to ensure that his little bones are developed enough.

Here's some more information which might be helpful. http://www.safekids.org/safetytips/field_age/little-kids-...

I know the suggested age is 2 and many people I know continue that. BUT if your child isn't sitting correctly in her seat then she's not safe. IF her feet are not where they're supposed to be then she needs to move to a forward facing seat. IF she's too big then she needs to move forward.

I would think long and hard about this. I think kids who sit rear facing but are all bunched up in a poorly fitting car seat then they need a different seat.

I know they show that rear facing seats are safer for everyone but I also think that the seats in our vehicles are as safe as they can be. They will also help the car seat protect your child. Talk to some firemen about this, they often hold car seat clinics and they might even have a replacement car seat for you. Sometimes at no charge.

2 year birthday is the best day to do this. I know it is inconvenient but after doing some reading on the subject I was convinced to wait until 2. Although it is a giant PIA to have them face backward just remember that on the off chance there is an accident before 2 you have him all snuggled in and as safe as possible.