The Bed Rest Book Club
Share it!
  • Blog
  • About
  • Dining (Vegan and Nonvegan)
  • Running Stuff
  • Recipes!

Stop the (Car Seat) Madness

3/22/2011

3 Comments

 
Damn you, American Association of Pediatrics.

Just when we thought it was safe to take the toddler out for a drive, you issue new safety recommendations for car seats.

It seems like this new info has set parents all up in a tizzy and unsure how to proceed. Before you trek out to the garage to wrestle with the seat, let's look at the facts.

Per the official press release from AAP, parents are encouraged to keep their toddler rear-facing until the age of two, or until the child reaches the weight or height max for their particular car seat. There were also some guidelines for older kids, such as staying in a booster seat until they are four feet, nine inches tall, and are between the ages of eight and twelve. Kids are to remain in the back seat until the age of 13.

Which is good, because in just three years, those same kids are going to be driving the vehicle independently.

Ack. Let's not think about that.

A 2007 study in Injury Prevention found children are essentially safer when they are rear-facing. Children under the age of two are 75% less likely to die or sustain serious injury in the event of a crash when rear-facing. The reason is because the head, neck, and spine are better supported in the rear-facing position. Although the child's legs may be squished (a professional term, no doubt), leg injuries are preferable to spinal injuries.

Based on everything I've read, this recommendation appears to be built around the size of each individual child and the particular car seat model being used.  While smaller children will benefit from remaining rear-facing longer, other children will reach the weight/height max of their seat before the age of two.  Therefore, if the child exceeds the max of the rear-facing weight requirement, the parent has two options: purchase a new car seat with a greater rear-facing weight max, or turn the child forward-facing.

Scotty is right in the wheel house of this group. He's a big boy.

Oof, my aching back.

We have the Britax Marathon, which has a rear-facing weight max of 35 pounds. The Bear, per the scale this morning (which he stood on so nicely! What a good boy), weighed him in at a whooping 32 lbs, 6 oz. We are exactly two and a half pounds away from the weight max.

If I had a child that was significantly below the weight max for the car seat (say, 21 lbs on a 35 lb seat max), I would definitely turn the seat around. I'd give the child a good 5 days to acclimate to the new position, and try to keep car trips in the early days as short and quick as possible. But - if they were a little bigger, a little older, and more savvy (read: opinionated), AND they screamed bloody murder for those five days, I would probably consider turning it back around to forward-facing. Because at this point, what's worse: a child in a forward-facing car seat or a distracted, flustered driver who cannot concentrate because of the ruckus in the back seat?

I hate these kinds of questions. This is what makes Parenthood so tough. There are no clear answers.

I think it's about common sense here. I say this after I received a phone call from a good friend last night at 9pm. (Sorry friend...I'm outing you.) She was pretty upset about the new recommendations (which, FYI, are just that: recommendations. It is not law. And AAP are the same group who recommended women breastfeed for one year. A lot of women didn't follow that rec, and everything turned out just fine. None of our toddlers are serial killers.) My friend said she had just sent her husband out to the driveway to switch the seats around and per my dear friend, this news was so upsetting she was (jokingly, I think) considering going on Xanax.

Okay, this is where I draw the line.

Because driving while on a controlled substance, whether obtained through prescription or not, is FAR more dangerous than having your children rear v. forward facing. And so it texting while driving. Hell, so is talking on your cell phone (something I am very, very guilty of).

So let's take these new recommendations with a healthy dose of common sense and 1.) BREATHE and 2.) look at everything that is contributing to the chance of being in a crash. Don't drive under the influence. Don't text while driving. Don't talk on your cell phone. Don't pass your child graham crackers and bop-bops in an effort to keep him busy. (whoops...) Let's turn driving back into just that: driving, and not some multi-tasking expedition that also happens to involve getting from one place to another.

Also...I can't help but mention this...if you do turn the seat around, make sure it's installed correctly. I don't remember the official stats off the top of my head, but the majority of injuries to children in car seats were a result of improperly installed car seats. And now, thanks to the AAP, last night millions of dads were just cajoled into turning the seat around at 8pm at night by a near-hysterical mom, in the dark, after a long day at the office, and lord knows there are lots of buckles and straps and clicks to hook on properly.

::whew::

Whatever you choose, just make it right for your family.

Thoughts? Comments? Feedback? I'd love to hear your opinion.
3 Comments
Brian
3/22/2011 07:13:21 am

If Duke is fortunate enough to beat Arizona on Thursday evening and I then decide to do something crazy and drive to Anaheim to watch Duke play in the regional final on Saturday with the bear (baaaaaaaalllll...), I can assure everyone that the boy will be facing forward for the following reasons:
1) I do not believe the scale. There is no way he weighs less than 35 pounds. Have you seen him?!
2) The height and weight restrictions for the seats have not changed, yet some government agency set off an alarm with millions of parents based upon an artificial age guideline. If the boy is still a few months away from 2 years old, but PLENTY large enough to face forward, then what relevance does his age really have? I also agree that not paying complete attention to the road while driving is more dangerous than the direction the car seat is facing. Finally,
3) I think it's important for him to actually see the Chick-Fil-A before we arrive (each time) to fully appreciate the joy of stopping for chicken fried in peanut oil served on a lightly buttered bun with a pickle (and perhaps a milkshake).

Reply
Kim
3/22/2011 07:45:32 am

This is my husband...

Reply
What does bmw stand for link
3/25/2013 05:25:14 pm

This blog made me your crazy follower. I am adding you in my favorite list so that next time I could read you again.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    About Me

    Think of this as the epilogue to Bridget Jones' story. Well, mostly. Bridget marries the handsome lawyer, starts a blog while on bedrest, and decides marathon running sounds like fun. Bridget goes through a divorce but keeps running. Hilarity ensues. 

    Archives

    September 2020
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    September 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009

    Categories

    All
    Adolescence
    Baby Activities
    Baby Care
    Bed Rest
    Book Reviews
    Bravo Tv
    Breast Feeding
    Cool Stuff
    Craftiness
    Craig\'s List
    Dogs
    Emma
    Ethical Dilemmas
    Family
    Family Relationships
    Food
    Football Season
    Friendship
    Google List
    Grief
    Guest Blogger
    Guest Bloggers
    I Hate Our Neighborhood
    Junior League
    Kernicterus
    Milestones
    Motherdhood
    Motherhood
    Movies
    My Bladder
    New House
    Numbers
    Pending Reviews
    Post Partum
    Potty Training
    Potty-training
    Pregnancy
    Relationships
    Reviews
    Running
    Scary Stuff
    School
    Scotty
    Sleep
    Sororities
    Sunshine Cupcakes
    Surgery
    The Bobby
    The Holidays
    The Miracle Blanket
    The New House
    Todderville
    Toddlerville
    Toys
    Tv
    Tv Review
    Tv Reviews
    Unpopular Opinions
    Vegas
    Weight Loss
    Weird Stuff Kim Says
    Work

    RSS Feed

Thanks for reading!