Alert--Parents Advised to Leave Children in Rear-facing Car Seats Longer

New recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that parents keep their babies and toddlers riding in their rear-facing car seats until at least age two, depending on the child's size.  Most parents previously made the switch around their child's first birthday, so this new advice essentially doubles the amount of time children will be riding in this position.  The recommendation comes in the journal Pediatrics, released today, which states research shows children are much safer in this position.  In fact, the statistics show children under two are 75% less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are in rear-facing car seats.  “A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Dennis Durbin said in a statement from the AAP. Dr. Durbin is the study’s author and with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Injury Research and Prevention.  The entire press release on this issue can be read by clicking this link.