A Swashbuckling Voyage

Q: My mother keeps bugging me to turn my son’s car seat around so he can face forward. She says things like, “He’ll like it better,” or “I think he’d be a lot more comfortable.” I think it’s safer to stay rear facing even though he’s more than a year old.

A: You are correct.

“Wohoo! You’re one! Now you can sit facing forwards!” Many of us are eager for our children to hit that next milestone and treat the first birthday and flipping of the seat as a rite of passage to celebrate.

Not so. The traditional recommendation to keep your child rear-facing until she is at least 1 year old and 20 pounds is a minimum recommendation.

And in April the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its recommendation to state that children should stay rear-facing until they are at least 2 years old or they exceed the height or weight limit for the seat, which may happen well past age 2.

Study after study shows that children riding rear-facing are far less likely to suffer a serious injury or die in a car accident, 75 perent less likely per one study.

Rear-facing seats distribute the force of the crash better over the child’s entire body and protect the head and spine better.

Sure, it’s nice to see where you’re going rather than where you’ve been and their legs might be a little squished but safety is far more important.

Plus, they don’t know the difference yet!

So, what should you do?

First, familiarize yourself with the height and weight limits on your car seat. It’s crucial that you are using a seat that is the right size for your child.

My son outgrew the height limit on his infant car seat (the bucket) before hitting the weight limit. I was focusing on that magic “20 pounds” and didn’t pay attention to the height limit at all.

It turns out the height limitation is there so the baby’s HEAD is properly protected. If the baby gets too tall, the head will hit the plastic edge of the bucket and not be in the cushy area that absorbs shock better.

All infant car seats are rear-facing. Chances are, your child will outgrow it long before turning 2. Many babies will outgrow it before turning 1. Just because they’re too young to legally be turned around doesn’t mean you can safely keep them in the original infant seat. That’s why parents need to know what the limits are for their particular car seat (it will be in the manual or stamped on the back of the seat) so they can make adjustments when the car seat dictates.

For the too-big-for-the-bucket but small-enough-to-ride-backwards phase, car seat manufacturers make convertible car seats, many of which can remain rear facing up to 35 or even 45 pounds.

Then you can turn it around and continue to use it until your child turns 18… Well maybe not, but many of these seats will accommodate a pretty big kid. So while a convertible seat may be a little more expensive than a strictly forward-facing car seat, it may be the last car seat you’ll ever have to buy.

Another interesting tidbit: car seat safety is regulated and ALL car seats meet strict requirements. So the pricey seat with all the bells and whistles may have some features that make it more appealing or easier to use, all of them are safe.

Next, install it properly.

This can be easier said than done. I have always taken mine in to Vernon Ambulance. They have two people who are certified car seat installers. And it’s free. You can call 860-871-7468 and then extension 2 or 4 and make an appointment (recommended but not required) to bring your car in.

There are also car seat checks you can go to. Visit www.ctsafekids.org for a list of upcoming events, fitting stations and other information to help keep your kids safe.

Here are some things to keep in mind when installing the car seat yourself.

Read the manuals. You should read both your car's manual and the car seat manual to determine how to run the seatbelt and use the LATCH system and any tethers, etc.

Make sure it’s tight enough. The seat base shouldn’t move more than an inch in any direction no matter how hard you tug on it.

Put your knee in the seat to press it into the car’s seat as much as possible and tighten and lock the seat belt. On many newer cars, you pull the seat belt all the way out and listen for the click, click, click as it retracts to lock it. On older models, you may need a locking clip. You can check your car’s owner's manual to see how it’s done.

Check the angle of the car seat. Many have a guide right on the side of the seat. If you need to adjust it, you can use a piece of pool noodle (a trick I learned from Vernon Ambulance—also works if you need help keeping the seat from shifting) or a rolled up towel.

Fasten the harness tight enough. We don’t want the straps to be so tight they’re unbearable, but they should be snug enough that you cannot pinch it together once you’ve tightened it around your child.

The clip needs to go across the breastbone, about armpit level. This is the strongest part of your child’s body.

Make sure the harness is going through the proper slots in the car seat. As your child grows, or when you turn the seat around, adjustments will need to be made.

Last, keep staying safe.

Don’t give up the booster seat too soon. Children lighter than 80 pounds and under 4-foot-9 need a booster seat so the seat belt fits properly. An improperly fitting seat belt can damage internal organs or cause injury to the spinal cord or neck during a crash.

Wait until your child is age 13 before you let him sit in the front seat.

Everyone in the car should be wearing a seat belt. Not only does it set a good example, but if you are not belted in, you become a powerful projectile in an accident. It doesn’t take much speed for a crash to generate a lot of force. Would you hurtle a bowling ball at your child? Of course not, but if you’re not belted in you could seriously hurt others in the car.

Times sure have changed since my parents drove from Vernon, where I was born, to Maryland, where my dad had a new job, with their week-old baby on a pillow between them on the front seat, haven’t they?