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When can a baby face forward in a car seat?
- By Declan Tobin
- Published 08/18/2008
- baby Car Seats
- Unrated
Being a new parent, you will want to know everything you can about being a parent and what is best for your baby. There will be many questions you will need answered. ‘When can a baby face forward in a car seat?’ will be one of these. To answer this, you need to know why it is so important for your baby to face rearwards in a car.
A baby’s neck bones are soft and the ligaments are stretchy. For this reason a baby’s neck is very fragile. A baby’s head is also heavy. In the event of a frontal crash, if a baby is facing forward in a car seat, his body will be held back by the straps but his head will not be. The head is thrust forward, stretching the neck. An older child and adults can sustain temporary neck injuries, but a baby’s neck bones will separate during the crash because they are so soft, which can result in the spinal cord being torn. If a baby is facing rearwards, he will be protected by the back of the safety seat. A baby is also more protected in side-impact crashes if he is facing rearwards.
Opinions differ on when you should change your baby from a rear facing seat to a forward facing seat. Research carried out in Sweden suggests that it is safer for children to use rear facing seats up to the age of three or four. Forward facing seats are only designed for babies that weigh at least 9 kilograms. This is usually around nine to twelve months. Waiting until your baby is at least a year and a half is probably the best thing to do because by this time your baby’s spinal column should be ready for him to face forward. You will want to see your little ones face when you look in the rear view mirror, but don’t let this rush you in to putting your child in a forward facing seat. This will only increase your baby’s risk of injury in an accident. It is a good idea to keep your child in a rear facing seat for as long as possible.
A baby’s neck bones are soft and the ligaments are stretchy. For this reason a baby’s neck is very fragile. A baby’s head is also heavy. In the event of a frontal crash, if a baby is facing forward in a car seat, his body will be held back by the straps but his head will not be. The head is thrust forward, stretching the neck. An older child and adults can sustain temporary neck injuries, but a baby’s neck bones will separate during the crash because they are so soft, which can result in the spinal cord being torn. If a baby is facing rearwards, he will be protected by the back of the safety seat. A baby is also more protected in side-impact crashes if he is facing rearwards.
Opinions differ on when you should change your baby from a rear facing seat to a forward facing seat. Research carried out in Sweden suggests that it is safer for children to use rear facing seats up to the age of three or four. Forward facing seats are only designed for babies that weigh at least 9 kilograms. This is usually around nine to twelve months. Waiting until your baby is at least a year and a half is probably the best thing to do because by this time your baby’s spinal column should be ready for him to face forward. You will want to see your little ones face when you look in the rear view mirror, but don’t let this rush you in to putting your child in a forward facing seat. This will only increase your baby’s risk of injury in an accident. It is a good idea to keep your child in a rear facing seat for as long as possible.
