# AAP recommendation rear facing until 4??



## olien (Apr 21, 2008)

Does anyone have a link to an article I can show DH?? I cant seem to find anything on the web except a few things that say RF until 2.

Thanks to this forum I just recently heard about RF until 4. We needed a 2nd seat for DHs car & he thinks I am absolutely nuts for wanting to turn DS back to RF. (he is FF since 15mo when he outgrew his bucket bec of height)

We just got a complete air. I wanted a 2nd one - one for each car, but again DH doesnt think its necessary - he thinks he is just fine in his FF seat.

Thanks.


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## BathrobeGoddess (Nov 19, 2001)

The "official" rec is to RF to at _least 2_ so you won't find anything on their page until four but that doesn't mean you can't RF your ds


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## Katie T (Nov 8, 2008)

http://www.carsafety4kids.com/rearfacing.html

I found this, it talks about it a bit. I just googled benefits of rear facing till 4 and this is one of many things that came up.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

The recommendation of keeping kids rear facing until age 4 comes from the Swedes which is the only country strongly following the recommendation. There is no law in Sweden regarding rear facing to any age but due to the huge safety benefits, and strong recommendation from experts, most parents are keeping kids rear facing until age 4 or longer in the many seats which will accommodate kids Rf until 55 lbs.

The recommendation from AAP was recently increased to age 2 from it's previous 12-20 recommendation but it's already hopelessly outdated. The recommendation of RF until age 4 was recently confirmed by published research in well regarded British Medical Journal.

Research is one thing, how does RF work in real life? Unbelievably well! Sweden has been doing this since 1965, I sat rear facing until age 4 until my younger sister stole my seat, and the safety record is nothing less than incredible. Fatalities for young children has more or less been eliminated in Sweden. The last three years fatalites in Sweden for children age 0-6 years has been close to zero


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## Mommybree (Jul 27, 2007)

In 2002, the AAP did publish a Policy Statement saying that manufacturers should make seats that can rear-face kids until 4 years old. That 2002 statement also stated that children should rear-face until the limits of the convertible seat (and to not turn forward-facing before 1 year and 20 pounds). As it stands, that 2002 Policy Statement is still the official one from the AAP. They are currently working to update the statement. Unfortunately, too many people misinterpret it to think that they should forward-face their 1 year olds or that it is safe enough to forward-face any kid over 1.

A couple of years ago, there was an article in one of the AAP journals saying to rear-face until 2 instead of 1, but that is not currently an official AAP policy statement.

Rear-facing until at least 4 is supported by North American and Swedish research. The AAP thinks manufacturers should make seats that accomodate 4 year olds rear-facing and that is included in their Policy Statement. I just wanted to clarify exactly what the AAP Policy Statement currently is and in what context the age 4 is mentioned.


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Well, if DH accepts two and your DS isn't two yet, does he need proof that he should rear-face til four? He still needs to rear-face *now* and that would mean a carseat that allows him to rear-face.


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## mamaofthree (Jun 5, 2002)

just a quick question... where do the kids put their legs? my 3 year old is ff, his legs are so long, i can't imagine him having to be all bunched up for a long car trip.

h


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## amy_n_boys (Nov 2, 2006)

Kids are very flexible -- sometimes more flexible than adults give them credit for. At www.car-seat.org, there are lots of pictures of 3 and 4 yr olds rear-facing with their legs crossed, over the sides of the seat, up on the seat, etc.

Here's my son at 3.5 years old


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## mamaofthree (Jun 5, 2002)

your seat has lower sides, so i can see it working better. i still can't imagine sitting spread eagle for a 3 hour car ride, or all bunched up.

h


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamaofthree* 
your seat has lower sides, so i can see it working better. i still can't imagine sitting spread eagle for a 3 hour car ride, or all bunched up.

h

They don't. They sit spread eagle, then they cross their legs, then they put them straight up on the seat, etc. Kids move around their legs as needed. My nearly 3yo as been in the car a TON rfing, no complaints about legs.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamaofthree* 
just a quick question... where do the kids put their legs? my 3 year old is ff, his legs are so long, i can't imagine him having to be all bunched up for a long car trip.

h

Good question. This is one of the most common rear facing myths. Children are not like us adults and enjoy sitting with bent legs. Take a look at any child sitting down playing, no one is sitting with straight legs.

I get quite a few emails from parents who have tuned 2-4 year old around from FF to RF who mention their kids being far more comfortable. Legs falling asleep is common among FF children, not so with Rf kids. Over here in Sweden it's uncommon to see a 3- year old forward facing. Despite most kids sitting Rf for a very long time I have never heard a child complain about legs being uncomfortable in any way.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

My DS is 38 and 3/4 inches tall, and most of that is leg and he has never complained of his legs being uncomfortable. He rides in a Complete Air RF'ing and the sides are pretty high. He either sits with his knees spread out and his feet together against the seat back, or he hangs them off the sides. He is not able to cross his legs without pain (not sure why), so he can't do that, but he still doesn't complain. I am planning to RF him to the limits of his seat, which looks at this point as though it will take him well past his fourth birthday, and possibly close to his fourth if his growth curve stays the same (he is 33 pounds and tall and thin, but with a shortish torso). Once he hits the limits of his seat, I am pretty sure he will be boostered with the seat belt only, not a harness. I am inclined to agree with the Swedish rec's, and am hoping he can make it.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Adventuredad* 
Good question. This is one of the most common rear facing myths. Children are not like us adults and enjoy sitting with bent legs. Take a look at any child sitting down playing, no one is sitting with straight legs.









Heck, I'm 22 and I hate sitting with my legs straight. I'm almost always sitting cross legged, or with one leg under me. Sitting with my legd down in the car for a long time makes them go to sleep.


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

I just turned my nearly 3 yo and my 4 yo back to rf (both are around 30 lbs) and they think it's hilarious and keep *asking* "can we sit backwards again this time??"









I had originally turned my oldest ff because of lack of knowledge, but her brother was born when she was 18 mos old and our radian didn't fit rf behind the drivers seat without having the seat all the way forward. Then Ds1 got bigger and the two of them started kicking each other and fighting (they could reach each other to kick b/c ds1 was rear facing and dd was ff), so i decided it was less safe for me to be preoccupied with the fighting while driving and turned ds1 around to ff (he was 18 mos). Now we got a new car and can rf the kids again







DD's a peanut, she's got a long way to go before she outgrows the weight or height on her seat... and if she's like me, she's short waisted... Ds1 will likely be out of rf before dd's outgrown her seat, at this rate. Is there an age limit on rf or just height and weight?


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## leighi123 (Nov 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Adventuredad* 
Good question. This is one of the most common rear facing myths. Children are not like us adults and enjoy sitting with bent legs. Take a look at any child sitting down playing, no one is sitting with straight legs.

This is what I tell parents, but I have met kids who DO sit with their legs streight out all the time. For those kids, they can just rest their legs 'up' on the seatback.

My ds sits cross-legged, even though he is short and has room to strech them streight out if he wanted to.


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## MJB (Nov 28, 2009)

Both my kids are forward-facing now (youngest is 4 and 42+ lbs) and they complain about their legs being uncomfortable dangling on long drives. My little guy only rear-faced to 2.5 (hit the weight limit on his Radian) but he was quite comfy in many positions.


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

well DS2 is almost 5 and he still RF. we have a complete air as well. he sits legs crossed or he just puts his legs on the back of the seats. he's pretty short and only weighs 35 lbs.


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

The one time my DD was FF (on an airplane) she spent the whole ride trying to hold her legs up on the seat with one hand. She was clearly displeased at not having anything to rest them on. She's nearly 2, quite tall, and very happy rear-facing.


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## freestylemama (Apr 8, 2009)

What kind of seats do you all have? My LO is 2.5 and weighs too much to rf in her Britax Marathon.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *freestylemama* 
What kind of seats do you all have? My LO is 2.5 and weighs too much to rf in her Britax Marathon.

The radians all rf to 40 or 45 lbs; the complete air and graco myride both rearface to 40lbs.


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