Vent Pediatrician denies that ERFing is a possibility

Pixels

New member
DD had her 1yo checkup yesterday. Her pedi isn't huge on unsolicited advice, and up until now has never said one word about carseats to me. I asked her what she tells parents at this age about carseats. She said 1 and 20, good tone, blah blah blah, turn FFing. I said aaaactually, the AAP recommends RFing to the limits of the seat. She said yeah, 1 and 20. Me: No, my DD will RF to 35 pounds. Her: No, you can't do that. She won't fit. Me: Yes, her carseat will hold a child who is 35 pounds RFing. (Thinking of the Radian, not the ComfortSport or BabyTrend.) Her: What carseat is that? There aren't any that will hold a child that big. Me: Pretty much any convertible has a weight limit of 30, 33, or 35 pounds. They are 4 times safer RFing, less likely to suffer serious injury or death. Internal decapitation blah blah blah. Then I rattled off names of convertibles with 35 pound weight limits and tall shells. Her: But 1 and 20 is the recommendation. Me: That's the legal minimum. It's an old minimum, but we know now that it isn't really safe. AAP recommendation is the limits of the seat.

It wasn't really confrontational, just exchanging ideas. She wrote a note to herself to research it. :thumbsup: After she left, she came back a minute later with a pamphlet (copyright 2003) from the American Medical Association that has that horrible chart in it. The one that says under 1, birth to 20 pounds, RFing infant seat. 2-4, 20-40, FFing harnessed. Over 4, over 40 pounds, booster. I promised to bring some things for her to look at to DD's next visit. "Well, okay." :rolleyes:

So now I'm off to search for the AAP policy statement and hopefully find some scientific studies. Good stuff for the pedi. Hmm, I should see if I can find something better from AMA, and show her that even they are for ERFing.
 
ADS

JerseyGirl'sMama

New member
Wow. At least she seems a little open to new information. :whistle:

I took DD to see a pedi yesterday. Her regular pedi is out on maternity leave and this new Dr. was nice. I asked her what they recommend, and she said she received an email about the AAP statement a couple weeks ago, so while it is new to her, they now recommend RF to 2 yr. :thumbsup:
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
ACK! Everything I can find from JAMA still has horrid recommendations! Maybe I can talk to the pediatrician who was in my tech class and get her to submit some updated stuff to JAMA and see if they'll publish it.
 

Pixels

New member
I found something in American Medical News, but can't access it (have to subscribe). It's dated December 18, 2000, so I don't know how good it is. If anyone has access and wants to pass it on to me ... :whistle:
 

MomE

New member
I love that my daughter's doctor has two girls a bit older and a bit younger than her. She works for a HUGE "corporation" (as I say), and so she spouts off what they tell her to spout off. At my daughter's 15 month checkup she told me the part about turning my daughter (barely 20 pounds!) to forward facing, and I immediately said, "NO!" And then we got into a conversation about carseats and how she kept her kids RF to the limit of the seat and how things may be changing with the AAP advice. I told her about the My Ride and she told me how she is a Britax fan and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, it was a great conversation. But it is so sad that such a wonderful doctor is involved with "procedures" and "recommendations" for this huge corporation. Actually, I mostly only stay with them for my daughter's doctor. If she left, I'd consider other options too!

I've also been trying to do whatever I can (making phone calls, writing letters) to get this corporation to change it's information. I was told 3 TIMES at the one appointment to turn my daughter around! UGH! Maybe I should start a movement of "members".... I mean, there are millions of them (and I'm sure each one knows someone who is a parent, sibling, grandparent, etc).... Imagine the power.... Hmm....
 

shorty393

New member
WOW!! she actually said that wasn't possible???!!! i guess it isn't really their place to inform parents about car seats, but it just seems like they should be more knowlegeable.
 

April

Well-known member
Here is an AAP page on car seats:
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

Note these parts (bolding is mine):

"It is best to ride rear-facing as long as possible. Children 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds can ride forward-facing. "

"They should remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds."

"Once your child has reached the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of the seat for rear-facing, she can ride forward-facing in a convertible seat. However, it is best for her to ride rear-facing to the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of her car safety seat. She should ride in a forward-facing seat with a harness until she outgrows it (usually at around 4 years of age and about 40–65 pounds)."

ETA: At the bottom of the page I linked to, there is a list of all of the seats available in the US, and states their rear facing weight limit. The only one not on there (that I can tell) is the MyRide.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I was told in my tech class that any pamphlets we have that are older than 2-3 yrs, need to be tossed.
 

jodibug

New member
Good for you for bringing it up and for educating her. I hope she really will take some time to research it.
 

scuby20

Member
wow I just had my daughter's 2 year check up today, and told the pediatrician that she still RF's and she was super happy about that, and even said the recommendation is to do it till at least 2 now...no more 1 and 20. My pediatrican tells people that yes it's legal at 1 and 20, but not recommended till at least 2! She was very impressed with my decission....my mom also came to the appt with me, and decided to get a TDaP shot to protect the baby due next week....and she was also very happy we as a family are protecting ourselves so that the baby will be protected. She even came back in and said how great it was we were doing everything to protect our kids/grandkids...ie the rear facing and vaccinating ourselves right now.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
Feel free to print my siggy and take it to her. Elizabeth was 2 years 9 months, 31 lbs, 36 inches when I took the picture.
 

Maedze

New member
Well, you're probably safer with that gal than the family doctor who went to the Carribean School of Medicine and Hair Design:whistle:
 

Pixels

New member
Say wha? I went to Bolton Family Medicine, once, for myself. I was unimpressed, but nothing major stuck out in my mind. Certianly nothing Carribean and nothing hair-related. You must explain!
 

brightredmtn

Well-known member
They are 4 times safer RFing, less likely to suffer serious injury or death. Internal decapitation blah blah blah.

I thought this study proved five times safer.

Here's the article and link from the AAP that states that the new minimum is two. I much prefer a number over "limits of your seat."

Keep your toddler in a rear-facing car seat until age 2 (not 1)
Lori O’Keefe
Correspondent

New research indicates that toddlers are more than five times safer
riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday.
Following are some safety tips for car seat use:

All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant car seat or
convertible seat.

If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switched to a
rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximum height (when the
infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat) and weight
(usually 22 pounds to 32 pounds) have been reached for that infant
seat as suggested by the car seat manufacturer.

Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seat until
they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for the
model, or at least the age of 2.

To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find a certified
passenger safety technician in your area, visit www.seatcheck.org or
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm. You also can call
866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or 888-327-4236.

Link to the article:
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a
 

sparkyd

Active member
I brought up car seats with my GP (in a group practice where several of the GPs deliver babies and therefore have a LOT of young patients) a few months ago. My doctor was actually really upset with herself that she wasn't aware that the recommendation was now to RF to the limit of the seat. The Canadian Pediatric Society isn't as clear about it as the AAP, but that is still what it says in their recommendations.

Anyway, I emailed her a bunch of information and we've talked about it a few more times (I'm pregnant, so there regularly) and at my last visit I brought her the Transport Canada leaflets on car seat safety, which they are now going to include in the packages they give to parents at certain milestones. :thumbsup: The info in those pamphlets could be improved since it was written awhile ago (2006?), especially the booster and seat belt ones, but overall it is the best "official" Canadian information that I've been able to find and it does stress keeping kids RF.

All that to say that each of us doing these little things could make a big difference to lots of kids. And that makes me happy!
 

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