When to Go from Rear-facing to Forward-facing

Hi T.. You can go from a rear to a forward facing car seat at 1 year old and 20 lbs. It has to be both

I heard it was 1 yr and 20 pounds at the minimum but people are encouraged to keep them rear facing as long as possible. I believe the reason for this is that their neck and body muscles aren't as well developed to withstand a crash as well in the forward facing position. My son was about 1 1/2 when we switched his carseat around. We bought a larger carseat just for that purpose.

The child must be 1 yr (correct age for premies) and 20 pounds. See car seat info at site below at diaperpin.com. Everything you need to know about carseats and kids to include great links.

http://www.diaperpin.com/articles/article_CarSeat2.asp#when

1 year old, but must weigh 20 lbs. I have a 2 yr old, only 19 lbs and we just turned her seat around because she would scream constantly. She is 31 inches long and her feet were uncomfortable. She is special needs, but has enough head control to go front now. We use the dvd player all the time now and she is fine.

I would contact Maryland Kids in Safety Seats at
1-800-370-SEAT

the child must be 1 year old AND 20 lbs...both requirements must be met before the seat can be turned around...

Hi T.,

While the legal limit for switching the carseat around is 20lbs & 1 year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration actually recommend keeping little ones rear-facing for as long as their carseat will allow it for their height & weight (30lbs was the weight limit for ours & most others that I know of). There is little evidence of broken legs or other injuries from the child's legs being bent during accidents while rear-facing but many incidents of toddlers with neck injuries while forward-facing even when they're legally allowed to face forward. Unfortunately, many pediatricians (my son's included) only know the legal requirements & don't know it's safer to keep kids rear-facing for as long as possible.

People often turn their child's carseat around early although this has been shown to be dangerous in addition to illegal. I've heard friends' excuses that their child does not like to face backward, but it seems just as likely that they're just getting to an age where they don't like being restrained, not just being rear-facing. It doesn't make sense to risk your child's health for their entertainment. If the child still protested being restrained forward-facing, would you just let him out of the carseat altogether? I'm sure not. My son actually preferred facing backward so he could kick the seat of the car & look into his little mirror & toys we attached to the car. While he does enjoy looking around now, he seems to miss his old set-up & never minded when his legs were bent (& he's in the top percentile for height).

If you'd like to see a detailed research article on the subject, go to http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810895.PDF. Let me know if you have any other questions. I know many people may disagree with me, but my husband & I did what we felt was safest for our son after our extensive research on this subject.

--J.C.

Cheryl is right. It is 1 yr AND 20 lbs.

http://www.thecarseatlady.com/

Love this resource and she takes phone calls :)

My pediatrician told us to keep her rear facing as long as possible...and turn her forward facing AFTER her first birthday and once she is at least 20 pounds. Some people think once they are 20 pounds then it's safe to forward face even if they're not yet 1. Waiting until they are AT LEAST 1 year old ensures their strength development to face forward and be able to handle a collision while facing forward. If you can get one of those seats that allows rear facing and forward facing for over 20 pounds then I'd keep your child facing the rear until his/her legs get too long and can't sit comfortably any more. (it's okay for their legs to hit the backseat and bend a little--my doctor said it was fine.)