Major Changes for Car Seat Guidelines Announced

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced major new guidelines for children riding in car seats.  In a press release dated March 21, the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat.  It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The old policy, dating back to 2002, advised that it is safest for infants and toddlers to ride rear-facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum. As a result, many parents turned the seat to face the front of the car when their child celebrated his or her first birthday.

“Parents often look forward to transitioning from one stage to the next, but these transitions should generally be delayed until they’re necessary, when the child fully outgrows the limits for his or her current stage,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement and accompanying technical report.

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.”

While the rate of deaths in car crashes in children under 16 has been on the decline, it is still the leading cause of death for children 4 and over.

Jessica Brady says she plans to keep her infant in his rear-facing car seat until he is two years old now.  "I trust the AAP and want to do what is safest for my child," she said.

Research states that children are safer in rear-facing car seats. In fact, children are 75 percent less likely to die or be injured if they are riding in rear-facing carseats.

“The ‘age 2’ recommendation is not a deadline, but rather a guideline to help parents decide when to make the transition,” Dr. Durbin said. “Smaller children will benefit from remaining rear-facing longer, while other children may reach the maximum height or weight before 2 years of age.”

A car seat guide for parents is available at www.healthychildren.org/carseatguide