Are there advantages to riding rear-facing even if you're never in a crash?

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Oct 22, 2013

• #1

Does the stop and go of traffic put any wear and tear on a kid/baby's body?

I feel like it would be a lot easier to get people to ERF of they felt like it benefitted their kid on a day-to-day basis -- not just in a crash.

Somehow every time I brake the car, I feel better knowing that my kiddo is rear-facing. But is there any actual logic to that, or does being rear-facing only actually help in a collision?

 

Baylor

New member

• Oct 22, 2013

• #2

Nedra said:

Does the stop and go of traffic put any wear and tear on a kid/baby's body?

I feel like it would be a lot easier to get people to ERF of they felt like it benefitted their kid on a day-to-day basis -- not just in a crash.

Somehow every time I brake the car, I feel better knowing that my kiddo is rear-facing. But is there any actual logic to that, or does being rear-facing only actually help in a collision?

Click to expand...

How fast are you stopping and going???

 

S

sarahlove

New member

• Oct 22, 2013

• #3

If you have to come to a sudden stop Im sure it helps.
We've had to slam on the brakes to prevent hitting a car not too long ago and everyone in the car, except rf dd, had a sore neck.

 

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essnce629

New member

• Oct 22, 2013

• #4

Your kids sleep better! Or at least mine always did!

 

Suzibeck

Active member

• Oct 22, 2013

• #5

I've heard it is good for ankle, knee and hip development. I don't have any links to back that up though.

 

Brigala

CPST Instructor

• Oct 22, 2013

• #6

My husband had to slam on the brakes pretty hard not too long ago, and when we came to a stop he took a deep breath and said "I'm so glad she's rear-facing. That stop could have strained her little neck."

Also, she still sleeps in the car A LOT and she's over 3. I can't imagine she'd be as comfortable.

And she doesn't kick my seat, which aside from being one of the most annoying things of my adult boys' toddler years, also reminds me that she actually has somewhere to rest her feet instead of letting them dangle and fall asleep.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Oct 22, 2013

• #7

My mother (who is an OT) was telling me about a study she read for one of her CE classes about children not spending as much time weight-bearing on their arms and legs in the early months due to Back to Sleep and lots of time in "baby devices" leading to less tummy time, which led to shorter, less developed limbs (including shorter limbs long-term, though I don't know how long the term of the study was.) The way she explained it was that when children don't push their arms and legs against things, putting weight on them and exercising them, and the arms and legs are not stimulated to grow as much. So... which would be better for a young child if pushing against things and putting weight on limbs is necessary for normal development, legs dangling FF, or legs pushed up against a back seat to kick and stretch and exert weight on? Yep, RFing with their legs able to kick and bend and push.

That is, of course, assuming that children spend so much time in the car that this is going to be a large factor in their development. Which it usually wouldn't be, but hey, I suppose it could happen.

 

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bnsnyde

New member

• Oct 22, 2013

• #8

I always hated when my son went FF b/c his neck would flop more as I made the car go. But that was before I knew to RF to at least 2, 7 years ago. He was 14 months when he went FF.
Now we aim for 3 or more...or past the 2nd birthday depending of the seat. My kids are so tall.

 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

• Oct 22, 2013

• #9

Baylor said:

How fast are you stopping and going???

Click to expand...

Ha! Not that fast, in fact most days I don't top 30 mph! I think I just imagine that their bodies are more fragile than they really are.

 

C

carseatmama007

New member

• Oct 22, 2013

• #10

Ever since I turned DD forward facing, she complains when I have to suddenly stop... maybe because moving forward into the chest clip hurts her more than going into the shell of the seat with her back?

She also complains about where to put her legs/feet. She's constantly switching positions (it reminds me of someone who has restless legs or something) trying to get them comfortable.

Oh, and she kicks my seat. And complains she's too cold when I have the air conditioning on because she can feel it directly now and she gets cold easily. And she's not as comfortable sleeping.

 

_juune

New member

• Oct 23, 2013

• #11

Well, this will depend on the size of the car and seating positions, but I've quite often heard complaints from parents that FF children kick the back of the driver's or front seat passenger's seats, which can be annoying [Maybe it's because we have mostly smaller cars over here.]

 

Brigala

CPST Instructor

• Oct 23, 2013

• #12

Heehee. Most of our cars aren't THAT big that it prevents kicking.

Kicking is a HUGE annoyance.

When my boys were preschoolers (like 15-16 years ago), I had a cop show up at my house once because the kids annoyed my (now ex) husband so badly by repeated kicking of his seat that he pulled the car over and yelled at them (possibly hit them too, not sure since I wasn't there) and someone took down his license number and reported him.

I had a hard time getting too bent out of shape over it because I knew how incessantly they kicked no matter how many times they were told not to. It was SO annoying! What I didn't know then, but know now, is that it's probably because their poor little dangling legs must have been horribly uncomfortable. If I'd realized, I would have given them something to rest their feet on, both for their comfort and for my sanity. We didn't have extended rear-facing seats available back then so that wasn't an option.