New Recommendations for Car Seat Use

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should be kept in rear-facing car seats until they reach age two, or until height and weight specifications set by the manufacturer are met.

These new guidelines, which will be published in the April issue of Pediatrics, replace previous recommendations that suggested rear-facing car seats be used only for children less than one year of age or under 20 pounds.

The publication states that the death rates due to automobile accidents in children younger than 16 years of age dropped roughly 45 percent from 1997 to 2009, however, motor vehicle accidents still top the list as the leading cause of death in children 4 years and older.

Report author Dr. Dennis Durbin, a pediatric emergency physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, notes that in the event of an accident, rear-facing car seats provide better support to the spine, head and neck of infants and young children.

Durbin also points out that parents should not interpret the new guidelines to mean that their child should be placed in a front-facing car seat immediately after their second birthday. It is important to take into consideration a child’s height and weight, keeping toddlers that are small for their age in rear-facing car seats until the requirements set by the manufacturer are reached, and switching to front-facing car seats sooner for bigger children.

As for forward-facing car seat use, the new guidelines recommend these seats be used as long as possible until a child’s height and weight reach the maximums set by the car seat manufacturer. Booster seats, which keep the seatbelt in the proper position, should also be used until a child reaches a height of 4 feet 9 inches. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that children under age 13 ride in the backseat to lower their risk of injury should an accident occur.

The auto accident lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. have successfully represented hundreds of clients injured in collisions in New York City and Long Island. If you or a loved one has been injured in any type of crash, call or e-mail us today. One of our experienced auto collision attorneys will review your case free of charge.

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