Pediatrics Group Announces New Guidelines for Child Safety Seats

June 03, 2011

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released new recommendations for infants riding in child safety seats. The group announced that infants should ride in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. Previously, children could ride in forward-facing seats after their first birthday.

The group relied on a University of Virginia study indicating that small children are 75 percent less likely to die or suffer severe injuries in a car crash if they are facing the rear of the vehicle. Dr. Dennis R. Durbin, scientific co-director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia explained to the New York Times that a child's body is better supported by the shell of the car seat. The shoulders and trunk may be well restrained when the child is facing forward, but the head and neck can fly forward in a crash. This can violently shake the child's head and neck, causing severe injuries. Rear-facing seats can distribute the force of a crash over the child's entire body.

Previously, rear facing car seats did not accommodate children weighing more than 20 pounds. Now parents have several options for car seats as their children grow. Convertible and 3-in-1 seats allow infants and toddlers to stay in safer positions until they are big enough to sit in child booster seats. Most can handle children up to 30 pounds. The NHTSA recommends that small children should stay in rear facing seats until they exceed the limits imposed by the manufacturer.

The National Center for Statistics and Analysis reports that 250,000 children are injured each year in car accidents. Children represent only five percent of car crash deaths, but car accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 2-14.

Changing the car seat position represents a growth milestone for parents. While this is traditionally for one-year-olds, parents welcome the new safety advice and will adjust accordingly.

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