Research to benefits of RF'ing after 4? (merged thread)

Is there research showing benefit of rear facing after 4? My DD is 4 years, 3 months, currently rear-facing in a Radian RXT in a captains seat in our Odyssey minivan, which is currently slid in towards the middle (not in the outboard-most position) . She's 42.5" tall and weighs about 38 pounds. I would LIKE to forward face her for convenience at this point (winter boots all over the seats, she still gets carsick on occasion, etc.) but obviously will continue to RF her if that is what the research shows is the best. Just not sure if there is any difference after 4....? If I FF her, I'll put her back in our Britax Advocate, which I love.

Thanks for any advice!

Re: Research to benefits of RF'ing after 4?

Rear-facing is always, always, always safer.

Having written that, a 4yo is very safe forward-facing and properly harnessed.

Re: Research to benefits of RF'ing after 4?

It's technically always safer to RF. Even for adults. However, by age four a child's spine is fully ossified making FF very safe. I'd feel perfectly safe FF her.

I am not sure but would love to know as well. I am assuming that rear facing for anyone is safer so I guess less chance of whip lash. As long as she fits in the seat you have read racing I would keep her rear facing through the winter

Re: Research to benefits of RF'ing after 4?

Rear facing to age 4 is 500% safer. After that the difference is smaller but still huge. At age 5 it might be 300-400%, it's difficult to say. Reear facing is far safer even for adults which is why the US Air Force starting placing seats rear facing in large transportation aircrafts in 1960-1970.

The only people in the world who keep a large part of kids rear facing to age 4 are the Swedes. Some turn earlier and others later. The very strong recommendation is rear facing to age 4. Not the ridiculous and outdated horrible advice to 2 years which comes from AAP. It's 2014, not 1990.

By keeping your child rear facinto age 4 you have of course done a fantastic job. Especially in US where 99%, or perhaps an even larger number, turn their kids FF at 12-15 months.

At age four it's fine to forward face since a child's body is more developed. Please note that keeping a child, 4+, forward facing in a harnessed seat is not any safer than using a high back booster. There is no data, stats, research or real life experiences showing this. It's likley less safe to use a harnessed FF seat if we listen to the experts.

A child's bones are nowhere near ossified at age 4. The bones are more ossified than at 12 months but aren't fully ossified until late puberty. In early puberty most of the ossification has taken place.

Hi Lili, your cross posted threads were merged together into a single thread here since cross posting is generally discouraged in order to keep replies all together in a single related thread.

Re: Research to benefits of RF'ing after 4?

Adventuredad said:

Please note that keeping a child, 4+, forward facing in a harnessed seat is not any safer than using a high back booster. There is no data, stats, research or real life experiences showing this. It's likley less safe to use a harnessed FF seat if we listen to the experts.

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Thanks for sharing this information. Can you please elaborate on the boldface statement above? (And does it apply to all harnessed FF conditions, whether in a convertible FF seat or combination booster seat with harnessed mode?) I assume your "less safe" is vs. a child belted in a high-back booster?

Re: Research to benefits of RF'ing after 4?

I haven't seen any studies showing worse outcomes for older harnessed FF kids vs booster. I have seen studies showing that in a child old enough and mature enough to sit properly 100% of the time there was no real difference seen in safety. The key though is sitting properly, and I have met very few less than 5 year olds able to do so, with most kids need until the older end of 5 or even 6 to get to that point where they won't impulsively reach for a toy they dropped, or lean forward, or try to put the belt under their arm etc.

Re: Research to benefits of RF'ing after 4?

BMWBig6 said:

Thanks for sharing this information. Can you please elaborate on the boldface statement above? (And does it apply to all harnessed FF conditions, whether in a convertible FF seat or combination booster seat with harnessed mode?) I assume your "less safe" is vs. a child belted in a high-back booster?

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AdventureDad is pretty much the only person on the board who feels this way.

Interesting responses. Thanks everyone. I think I'll keep her RF'ing a touch longer.....

carseatcoach said:

AdventureDad is pretty much the only person on the board who feels this way.

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I would love to know why?
My nieces 4.5 & just barely 7 are using the 5 point harness in the graco nautilus's I bought them in their mom's car. When in my new to me suburban the 7yr old sits in a hb booster and she has to constantly be reminded to sit still and don't lean forward. So now I need to get her a harnessed seat because she can't listen 100% of the time

BMWBig6 said:

Thanks for sharing this information. Can you please elaborate on the boldface statement above? (And does it apply to all harnessed FF conditions, whether in a convertible FF seat or combination booster seat with harnessed mode?) I assume your "less safe" is vs. a child belted in a high-back booster?

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In addition to elaborating, can you please provide credible sources for your claims? Studies? Real-world cases? Anything credible to back up what you say?

Transport Canada is fond of harnessed seats... https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehic...afety-programs-testing-harness-report-923.htm
Be sure to use the top tether, that is a good second-best to rearfacing when it comes to safety overall.
Good job going as long as you have RF! My kiddo fit RF in her classic Marathon in my 2003 Ody till she was 33 pounds and 4.5, I don't know how much longer I would have kept her RF if seats had so much higher weight limits as they do now, probably when she maxed the height at 5ish? We lived in California, so no winter boots to contend with, lol.