# proof that rearfacing long is best



## delphiniumpansy (Mar 1, 2007)

Is there any research proving that keeping kids rear facing past their first bday is safer? I was telling dh about that and he wondered why car seat manufacturers still say you can turn baby around at age 1 or 20 pounds if rear facing as long as possible is really safer. He is a scientist and wants proof. Spam me with links.

TX


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## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Yes, there is....


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## angie3096 (Apr 4, 2007)

Here are my favorites:
Here is a nice overview on rearfacing. It contains links for crash test footage, and be sure to check out the photo album link all the way at the bottom.
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx

This site talks about spinal development
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboar..._id=44503&page

A few good youtube videos on rearfacing; each contain crash test footage:













And just for kicks, moving on to kids over 35 pounds who can't rearface anymore, here is the difference between a child in a booster seat and a child in a 5 point harnessed seat.
Booster first:
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_s...xicosirodi.mpg
And now harness:
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_s...cosipriori.mpg


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## delphiniumpansy (Mar 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Papooses* 
Yes, there is....









link does not work


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## delphiniumpansy (Mar 1, 2007)

Thanks angie

this one is the most helpful


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## Rico'sAlice (Mar 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *yellowpansy* 
link does not work

Works fine for me.







:


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## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Sorry, I'm cheap -- unemployed single mom in college & homeschooling -- so I use Freewebs.... You might need to check your internet settings to see if it's a blocked site: I have no idea why some computers block it since I've never had any problems with it









Quote:

*Children must sit rear-facing up to at least 12 months and (not or) 20 pounds*
_American Academy of Pediatrics + National Highway Traffic Safety Administration state that toddlers & preschoolers should remain RF until the maximum limits of the convertible carseat._
Autopsy reports reveal that children under 2 years of age are at 4 times the risk of Internal Decapitation when forward-facing
Image 1 | Image 2

Infants & toddlers have a disproportionately large head-to-body size ratio. Young children also have poorly developed, fragile, flexible neck muscles, loose ligaments to allow for growth, small rib cages, undeveloped abdominal muscles, soft spinal columns and unprotected relatively larger abdominal organs. When a forward-facing child's heavy head is thrust forward in a crash, the child suffers an enormous amount of stress on neck. Imagine that a child's head weighs 5 pounds: in a 30 MPH crash, the child suffers about 150 pounds of force upon the neck. If the spinal cord stretches too far in a crash (a mere 1/4 inch) the child suffers paralysis or death. The young child's cervical vertebrae are not strong enough to protect the spinal cord adequately when forward-facing in a frontal crash. This is because the vertebrae are in pieces joined only by cartilage. The vertebral arch has not fused into a complete circle of bone, which will enclose and protect the spinal cord. Spinal ossificiation does not begin until about 3 YEARS of age.

_Over 90% of crashes are the front & sides of the vehicle. Frontal impacts are by far the most common type of crash + they are more sever than rear impact crashes, but side impacts are more often life-threatening, especially for rear seat occupants & roll over crashes are the most severe type._ *Rear-facing carseats are safest for all crash types because rear-facing spreads crash forces along the entire back instead of only where the harness touches the body.*

Image 3

Watch this SafeKids news broadcast! & this other video:

Kids are much more flexible than we think and bent legs are not a safety concern: kids are required to ride rear-facing in Scandinavia till about 50 pounds or 3-5 years old. There is no recorded case of leg injury. Even so, it's comparatively easy to fix a broken leg or foot ... we cannot fix broken necks! Other advantages are that kids are less likely to throw snacks or soft car toys towards the driver + kids cannot kick the driver's seatback, thus reducing driver distraction, the leading cause of crashes.

*Print the following AAP Policy Statement to share with your Pediatrician....* Selecting and Using the Most Appropriate Car Safety Seats for Growing Children: Guidelines for Counseling Parents _(PEDIATRICS Vol. 109 No. 3 March 2002, pp. 550-553)_

RESEARCH

MSNBC: "Babies Should Face the Rear Longer"
Front-Facing Too Soon (with crash test video comparison)
Rear-Facing: Unmatched Safety
How Long Should Babies Ride Facing the Back of the Car?
Child Safety Seats: Rear-Face Until at Least One
Year (Kathleen Webber, Director, Child Passenger Protection Research Program, University of Michigan Medical School)
Safety for the Growing Child: Experiences from Swedish Accident Data
Tethering Rear-Facing Seats Properly (only Britax, Recaro & Sunshine Kids allow RF tethering for enhanced safety performance)
Pediatric Cervical Spine Injuries
The Car Seat Lady: Rear-Facing + _other printable materials for health care providors, too!_


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## delphiniumpansy (Mar 1, 2007)

thanks papooses!


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