Rear Facing Infant Car Seat

A rear-facing infant seat suppresses the force of a collision in a crash and shields your child's head and neck. They also prevent your child's legs from striking the front of the carseat in the event of a crash, which can cause serious injuries or even death.

All toddlers and infants must be rear-facing until they reach the maximum weight or height of their car seat manufacturer. This includes infant car seats as well as convertible seats.

Rear-facing infant car seat is specifically designed for newborns, smaller infants.

A rear-facing infant car seat is a kind of child car seat that is only available in the rear facing position. These seats are designed specifically for infants and small babies typically up to 35 pounds. They also have a smaller base than other types of car seats. This makes them perfect for small cars and also helps make space in the back of the vehicle. Most infant car seat in front seat car seats can also be transformed into strollers, making the journey of a child more convenient.

Rear-facing infant car seats are also recommended for babies and preemies born prior to 37 weeks gestation. They are more spacious and offer more comfort than standard car seats, which can be difficult for a very small baby to get in and out of. The infant car seat newborn car seat also provides more neck and head support than a front-facing car seat, which could aid in protecting preemies and small babies from injuries in a crash.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children remain in the rear until they reach their maximum weight and height for car seats or at around two years old. This is because the spine of a child will be stronger in this position and prevent spinal injuries. Additionally, it's important to note that infants and younger children are more prone to suffering serious injuries from front-facing collisions.

In the case of an accident, the rear-facing seat absorbs most of the force of the impact, protecting the baby’s head, neck and spine. If a child is sitting in a chair that faces forward, their heads may be thrown into the dashboard or console of the vehicle, causing serious injury.

Many parents believe that their child is ready to move to the booster seat or forward-facing car seat around age two. This is a huge mistake. Recent research published in BMJ injury prevention have shown that it is better for children to remain rear-facing in their car seats until the age of three or four. The longer a child stays rear-facing in their car seat, the more likely it is that their cervical vertebrae mature and become ossified.

They are simple to put in and remove.

The majority of rear-facing infant car seats have a snap-on base that is fitted into your car and is easily removed when no longer required. This is a useful feature and lets parents secure the child in their car seat without leaving the car, especially in the event of bad weather or at the night when it's more difficult. It is also simple to change between vehicles and allow parents or other caregivers access the child's car seat.

If your child has outgrown their infant car seat either in terms of weight or height it's time to upgrade to a convertible or booster. It's important to keep it in mind that children are safer if they are rear-facing for as long as possible. In fact, it is highly recommended by safety experts to have children use rear-facing car seats until their two years old or until they reach the height and weight limit of the car seat manufacturer.

In a frontal crash a child riding rear-facing in a car seat absorbs the majority of the impact forces in an accident by absorbing them around their neck, head and spine. However, when a child rides forward-facing their head is thrown forward by the force of the collision and could stretch their spinal cord, causing serious injury or even death.

If you are worried about your child's safety when rear-facing, keep them warm by wrapping them in blankets. Avoid placing a blanket on top of or underneath them. Be cautious when wearing bulky clothing which could hinder the tightness of the harness. Also, make sure that the chest clip is flat against the shoulder and that the harness straps do not have gaps.

Many experts in child safety believe that if children sit in rear-facing car seats for a longer period of time they'll be five times more protected in a crash. In an accident head-on, children's heads - which are disproportionately larger than their bodies – can be thrown with force that is not absorption by their necks and torsos. With rear-facing seats the head of a child is cushioned by the seat's headrest and cradled by their backs during a crash, protecting them from the most serious injuries.

They protect the neck and head of your child.

When a baby is in the rear-facing car seat their neck and spinal cord are cradled against the back of the child safety seat in the event of a crash. This is important because in a frontal collision (the most frequent type of car accident) infants in forward-facing cars are thrown to the dashboard, which could cause neck injuries or even death. Infants in rear facing seats are held and cushioned by the back of their car seat, while their heads are supported by the headrest.

Infants also have a much easier breathing process when positioned in a rear-facing car seat because their chin is raised against their chest. In forward-facing car seats, the face can be pushed downwards, which can make it difficult for children to breathe. In reality, children who lie down in a forward-facing car seat are 75% more likely suffer head injury than those who lie down in a rear-facing car seat.

A baby's spine and brain are still developing. This makes them more vulnerable to crashes. If a collision occurs with an infant facing forward the head of the child may hit the buckle on the dashboard or seat belt. This could cause the spinal cord to become stretched and could result in serious injury or even death. It is essential to ensure that your child is in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the weight and height limits of their car seat.

Some infant car seats come with a special insert to support the head of the baby. When a child is no longer using the insert, it can be removed. Some car seats also come with anti-rebound bars or load leg features that absorb the energy from a crash. This is crucial as it helps reduce the impact on your child, and could even keep him from being ejected.

The recommendation of NHTSA is to keep your child in an infant car seats best car seat that faces rearwards until they reach the weight and height limit for their particular car seat. Once they reach that point, they should transition to an convertible car seat or all-in-one car seat which can be used with rear-facing and converted to forward facing as they get bigger.

They are easy to clean.

All car seats, no matter if they are convertibles or all-in one car seats can be removed easily and quickly. Often, they can also click directly into frame strollers and travel infant car seat systems to run errands while on the move making life much easier! They are also easy to clean. Many have machine-washable covers and parts that are removable and can be cleaned in the washing machine and dried. This is especially important as children can be messy!

In the case of an accident, the position of the rear will protect the head and neck of a child. This is particularly important for young children. Their heads are stuffed full of cartilage and their spinal cords are more flexible than those of adults. When they collide their head can snap backward, stretching their spinal cords, leading to severe injuries. This is why many car safety experts suggest keeping children rear-facing for as long as they can.

It's tempting to switch your child's seat into a booster when they are ready, but each switch reduces their protection in a crash. In a frontal crash the child's head will be thrown towards the side and possibly strike the plastic shell or dashboard. This increases the chance of injuries. The ideal scenario is for children to ride rearwards until they reach their rear-facing seat's maximum weight or height limit or up to 2 years of age.

If you're not sure whether your child is transitioning out of a rear-facing seat, ask a CPST certified in your area for advice. They can assist you in determining the ideal age for your child to turn around, as well as make sure they're riding properly and safely in their seat.

Many parents mistakenly believe that their child is outgrowing their car seat for infants once they grow out of the maximum rear-facing height or weight limit. But there are a myriad of things to take into consideration such as the size of your car and the unique body shape of your child. A lot of infant car seats have built-in recline indicators that tell you when your child's head is not extending past the top of their seat. For more information about safe recline, consult your car seat manual and the owner's guide of your vehicle.