In plain words
Rear-facing means a is installed so the baby faces the back seat and the rear window. In a crash, the force spreads across the back of the body and the seat, instead of pulling on a young neck. Many babies can ride rear-facing until they reach the seat's height or weight limit, which for many convertible seats is well past the first birthday. The AAP recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as the seat allows. A rear-facing seat is not a bed. Sleeping in a car seat outside the car can narrow a 's airway, so the seat is not used as a sleep space. A certified can check the install.
The deeper version
Rear-facing restraint spreads crash loads across the back and shoulders and reduces the head-to-neck loading and flexion-extension injuries that are common in forward-facing crashes, as shown in crash-test and field studies. US child restraints must meet FMVSS 213, and field checks commonly find installation or harness errors in a large share of seats. For newborns, clinical questions include screening preterm and low-birth-weight infants for and oxygen desaturation in a semi-upright seat, often done before discharge. The AAP policy statement on child passenger safety (Durbin and Hoffman, Pediatrics 2018) recommends rear-facing until the child reaches the maximum height or weight allowed by the seat. The main open question is how to set and communicate duration limits, given wide variation in seat design and few head-to-head outcome trials.
Where it comes up
- Car seat: choosing, installing, getting it checkedGetting Ready for Birth
- Car seat safety day to dayBaby Basics
- What to actually register forSupport, Home, and Village
What mothers here say about rear-facing
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Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Child Passenger Safety policy statement (Durbin DR, Hoffman BD), Pediatrics (2018)
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — FMVSS No. 213: Child Restraint Systems (49 CFR 571.213)