Question about new Car seat guidelines?

Dragoness

New member
I know you should keep your child RFing as long as possible. But I just caught an article stating that the guidelines for RFing are now 1 year and 22lbs rather than 20lbs. Anyone know if this is accurate?

I don't have any babies... but I have friends having babies and I want to pass on the information especially to those who only keep their kids RFing to 20lbs because they have to by law.
 
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LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
There's no single guideline. Safety experts recommend "as long as possible." Some organizations say 2 years, 30 lbs. AAP policy is still 1 and 20, but the recommend longer. Some seats have stricter minimums than 1 and 20, so you'd need to meet those requirements.

Bottom line, RFing is far safer than FF, so the longer, the better.
 

natysr

New member
Experts are now recommending that children ride rearfacing as long as possible.

The one year and 20 pounds is the minimum age and size a child must be before he/she can ride forwardfacing (and for some manufacturers..32 inch height is also required). But we do know that there is a huge safety benefit to children staying rearfacing much longer than that.

We have seats on the market now that can accommodate rearfacing children to 30, 33, 35, and even 40 pounds.

The seats I own rearface to 33 pounds (the highest limit at the time they were purchased). I kept my son rearfacing until he was 4 1/2 years old and 32 pounds, and only recently turned him forward facing.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Did you just read that on the CR blog? http://blogs.consumerreports.org/baby/2009/06/new-convertible-car-seat-ratings.html

22 pounds is nicer than 20, but it's only based on the fact that that's the smallest size of infant seat now (they all go to at least 22 pounds, many go to 30, and others go to 32 and 35), and some convertibles (Cosco, the most common brand) has a 1 year/22lb/34 inch bare minimum to forward face. Other brands are still 1 and 20 to FF. http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a is a good article to give to people :thumbsup:
 

sunnymw

New member
Did you just read that on the CR blog? http://blogs.consumerreports.org/baby/2009/06/new-convertible-car-seat-ratings.html

22 pounds is nicer than 20, but it's only based on the fact that that's the smallest size of infant seat now (they all go to at least 22 pounds, many go to 30, and others go to 32 and 35), and some convertibles (Cosco, the most common brand) has a 1 year/22lb/34 inch bare minimum to forward face. Other brands are still 1 and 20 to FF. http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a is a good article to give to people :thumbsup:

Except the TrueFit. You have to be 23lbs to FF in the TF :thumbsup:


Many laws have "proper use clauses" which means that if the seat manufacturer says 1y/22lbs/34in, and you FF before that, if I understand correctly that'd be illegal.
 

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