Question about spinal cord strength

I have heard that it's safer to keep a child rearfacing for as long as possible. My son is 3 years and 6 months old and weighs about 31 pounds and measures almost 38 inches in height (at a recent Dr's visit, I learned that he's not as heavy as I thought). Anyhow I was wondering how strong would his spinal cord be right about now? Is it fully ossified or is it hard to say? I'm not going to turn him FF yet, as he still has about 3 inches to grow before his head is an inch from the top of the carseat shell (I have the SK Radian XTSL). I'm sorry if this is a dopey question, but I don't know a lot about spinal cord strength, etc. I still have him RF, but he's getting so tall that it's hard to get him into his seat. I also notice that he gets hot (and I live in San Diego), and there's no A/C vents in the back of my car, only up front. He sweats even with the A/C on. I often wish my car had A/C vents in the back like many SUV's and minivans have.

IIRC they don't start ossifying until between 4-6 years old, not sure when they are done

babygirlsmom1005 said:

IIRC they don't start ossifying until between 4-6 years old, not sure when they are done

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Oh ok, thank you. Yeah my son is 3 years and 6 months old, although he was born two months premature so that's why my ticker says that he's 3 years and almost 8 months. I just hope that when I eventually do turn his carseat FF (when his head is within an inch of the top of the shell), that his spinal cord is strong enough. I shudder to think what could happen to him in an accident. I'm a pretty safe driver, but of course there are many idiots on the road who are not safe drivers.

To clarify, the spinal cord won't change much. It's the spinal column. Until some time between 3.5 and 6 (depending on the child, and it's a progressive process so force of a crash will come into play in this), the spinal column, the bones that protect the cord, can stretch much more than the cord can, which is what can cause it to snap. Once the spinal column is fused, it won't move as excessively, so will move WITH the spinal cord, and protect it from that excessive pull forward.

ketchupqueen said:

To clarify, the spinal cord won't change much. It's the spinal column. Until some time between 3.5 and 6 (depending on the child, and it's a progressive process so force of a crash will come into play in this), the spinal column, the bones that protect the cord, can stretch much more than the cord can, which is what can cause it to snap. Once the spinal column is fused, it won't move as excessively, so will move WITH the spinal cord, and protect it from that excessive pull forward.

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Thank you. If I could keep him RF even after his head reaches (or passes) the top of the carseat shell, I would. But I know it's also potentially dangerous to do that as well. I know it's going to be scary for me whenever I turn his carseat forward facing. I just hope his spinal column is pretty strong by then.

Another factor is head size and weight relative to the rest of the body; a 2 year old's head takes up more of his body than a 3 year old's, and a 3 year old's more than a 4 year old's, etc. It's a time of rapid changes in body dynamics. Every few months you can give him gives time for his body to catch up with his head, meaning that in a crash his head will be less of his weight, proportionally, and less likely to slam his spinal column as violently forward. You're doing great to keep him RF to the limits. Try not to stress too much.

ketchupqueen said:

Another factor is head size and weight relative to the rest of the body; a 2 year old's head takes up more of his body than a 3 year old's, and a 3 year old's more than a 4 year old's, etc. It's a time of rapid changes in body dynamics. Every few months you can give him gives time for his body to catch up with his head, meaning that in a crash his head will be less of his weight, proportionally, and less likely to slam his spinal column as violently forward. You're doing great to keep him RF to the limits. Try not to stress too much.

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Thank you, I'll admit that I do stress a lot over it.

You're doing what is ideal in regards to car seat safety. It would be perfectly acceptable and safe for him to be FF now but he is safER RF. I'm not at all saying you should turn him, just that when the time comes he will be safe as long as he's in a properly used seat. For him getting too hot, you can point the vents straight up and the air will bounce down onto him in the back. In theory anyway. It works better in some cars than others.