Too Young??

I strongly agree with the advice to leave her rear-facing. It's a safety guideline not one of convenience. The new guidelines are much more stringent and suggest leaving them rear facing as long as possible. I still have my 20 month old rear facing because she seems little to me - much smaller at this age than my older children were. It's a question of the strength in their neck and the effect an accident would have on infants. Rear facing is much safer!!!

Hello - I just wanted to ask you to please, please take the time to just pull over if she is fussing for something, like
a pacifier. Please don't try to feel and look around and take
your eyes off the road. It may take you an extra hour to get there and it may be frustrating to stop and get toys, bottles
etc. but please know that accidents happen in a split second of looking away and I just want to encourage you to take the time to just pull over and be safe. thanks -

My friend is an ex police officer and a mom of a 2 year old. She turned her child around before a year,front facing because it was so much more uncomfortable.... for her daughter. She had stopped many a person and tends to go by the letter of the law.

anyway.. the important thing is that the seat you get fits her well. If you are unsure about her positioning in any way, keep her facing backwards and stop a lot. PS.. take her by the firestation and have someone double check the way it is installed and the way she sits.. They will tell you what to do. :)

Yes, it is too young. It is illegal...even one day before. I saw an article with a mother who got in a wreck with her 11 month old who was forward facing and she was charged with aggravated child neglect. Children under 2 are 5x more likely to be killed when forward facing as opposed to rearfacing. For that reason, my 21 month old is still rearfacing. And feet touching the back of the seat is ABSOLUTELY no problem. You do NOT have to flip them when their feet touch. If that were the case my child would have been forward facing at 8 months. The poster who's pediatrician said that they could suffer leg/hip damage is grossly misinformed. There is not one single piece of evidence that suggests this will happen. BUT there is a lot of evidence that a small child (yes, over 1 year of age) could suffer severe, lethal spinal cord injuries while forward facing. It is called internal decapatation. You should google it. Besides I'd rather have a broken leg than a broken spinal cord....legs can be fixed. I don't say this to scare you, it's just that there is a ton of misinformation out there and some of it is perpetuated by uninformed pediatricians (they are medical doctors, not child passenger safety technicians). My child is off the charts tall and all legs and she just sits frog legged or with her feet propped up on the back of the seat.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rearfacing for as long as the seat will allow.

If you want to learn more, ask your pediatrician about the article that just came out in Pediatrics magazine (it is a magazine for pediatricians) that informs pediatricians to start better educating their patients on the benefits of staying rearfacing as long as possible.

1 year and 20 lbs. is the bare MINIMUM.

Hi A.,
I would leave her rear-facing and plan your trip around her possible needs. When she's asleep, drive as long as possible, when she's awake, make more frequent stops. While some police may be linient on this rule, many are not. No point in getting yourself a ticket or worse.

M.

I would think it is okay to switch her legally, although I am not totally sure. However, my understanding is that leaving them in the rear-facing position for as long as possible is optimal.

However, the vehicle's driver shouldn't be the one trying to tend to the baby!!! Having a distracted driver is a far more dangerous to her than anything else. It won't matter what position her seat is in if you DON'T crash! Most people believe that even those baby "safety" mirrors (so you can see your child in the back) are a bad idea due to driver distraction and the risk of a flying object during a crash. Please just plan your stops to take care of her and let her cry if you can't stop safely. Besides, she will be happier if she stops and gets out occasionally.

If she is that close and it will make the trip easier for you than do it!! I have three children under 5 and I may not do everything by the book but I do what is easiest (within reason of course) and what will make the kids happy cause then I am happy.

My pediatrician told me the 12 months part is more important than the 20 lbs because 20 lbs can come at 6 months or 2 years. The most important thing is that at 12 months your daughter has neck strength regardless of weight. And yes, 2 weeks shy of her 1st birthday is perfectly fine to turn her seat around! Have fun on your trip!!!!

No, she is not to young to face foreward. We turned our son around before his first birthday. It will be much easier on you, and if she is anything like my son, will be much happier in a foreward facing seat, he was the type that would not sleep in a car. Good Luck with your trip!

Hi A.,

First of all let me wish you happy trails I love road trips, and sometimes I prefer them with kids (call me crazy, but there is something pretty amazing about the way a child .. even a one yr. old sees the world that makes it all new to me again!)

Anyway.. I generally speaking agree with Erin T. however, something to consider that was brought to my attention by my Dr. is this... If your daughter is long enough, or so long that her feet are clearly pressed against the seat then she NEEDS to be turned around. It can actually be MORE dangerous having her rear facing. There is a possibility of permanent leg, hip and back damage should an accident occur. Otherwise, I suggest trying to keep her rear facing for as long as possible. Getting out to help her would only be the best way to keep everyone safe. Just dont travel at night, or stop in areas that are secluded/unsafe, and stopping shouldn't be a problem.

Hope you have a good trip!
Kim

My daughter is 2 and I turned her around a few weeks before she turned one. A long car trip is going to be tough on everyone, this would make things easier.

I would face her forward! 2 weeks shy of her first birthday is not going to make a difference. We turned my son's seat around when he was 11 months old because he was well above the weight limit and it was safer for all of us as he is and has been a very active child!! Just please make sure her seat is properly installed and that she is belted in snuggly!! HAPPY TRAVELS!

1 year and 20 lbs is the MINIMUM. They now recommend that the child stay rear-facing to the weight limit of the car seat rear-facing.

What I think it dangerous would be you trying to drive and tend to your baby while driving. Your child will be in the back seat. If your child needs attention, you need to pull over and handle it.

Expect that she will sleep most of the car ride. I have taken my 15 month old on many long car trips. We stop every 2 hours of so for a bathroom break and a snack and/or diaper change.

Make sure that she has a mirror positioned that you can see her through your rear view and leave her rear facing for the trip.