Keep Your Kids Rear Facing As Long As Possible

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), it is no longer recommended to turn your child’s car seat around at age 2. New guidelines state parents should keep their kids in rear-facing seats until they have reached the maximum height and weight for the seat, rather than setting an age limit. In some cases, children may be rear-facing until age 4 with this recommendation.

Experts are encouraging parents to leave children rear-facing for as long as possible, since rear-facing seats are known to protect a child’s head, neck and spine better than forward-facing. These seats will absorb more impact in an accident, and following these guidelines can reduce the risk of death or serious injury by 70 percent.  

"Car manufacturers got really creative and innovative and started making car seats that had higher height and weight limits. So they could accommodate kids for longer periods,” Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, lead author of the policy statement and chairman of the AAP Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention said. "The crux of this policy is basically the same as the policy from before except without any mention of the age of 2.”

To maximize safety, regularly check on the latest car seat safety recommendations. More details on this story here.