STUDY: Many parents are transitioning their children to a forward-facing car seat too soon

A new study published in the journal Academic Pediatrics has found that 75% of parents in the US transition their children to a forward-facing car seat much earlier than is advised. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents should use a rear-facing seat until a child is two years old or until they have outgrown the height and weight limits of their rear-facing seats. These guidelines were extended in 2011 from one year of age and 20lbs. The study concluded that delaying the transition to a forward-facing car seat still represents an opportunity to improve passenger safety in the US. EU Child Safety Protection laws now state that rear-facing seats must be used from birth to 12-15 months and for babies up to 29lbs. The RSA says, “Rearward-facing seats provide greater protection for the baby’s head, neck and spine than forward-facing seats. So, it is best to keep your baby in a rearward-facing seat for as long as possible. Only move them to a forward-facing seat once they have exceeded the maximum weight for the baby seat, or the top of their head is higher than the top of the seat.”