One of the most important things that new parents must learn is how to securely strap their child in the baby car seat. Many parents usually get the training from parenting classes or through community providers and experts in baby gear. The information that new parents gain is the most important training that they have to receive to ensure the safety of the newborn baby.
In Guam, car seats are required for children below 4 years old. Between the ages 4 and 11 with a height of 4 feet and 9 inches, children must use booster seats. However, when will you move the car seat from rear-facing to forward-facing? When you can use a convertible car seat?
In the past, car seats can be moved from rear-facing to forward-facing when the child reaches one year old. It became common practice but today, experts in car seats advise parents on ensuring that car seats are rear-facing for as long as possible. What is the basis of car experts in the importance of rear-facing car seats?
Physical development is a key factor in addition to age when handling the force of car accidents. When the child is in a rear-facing position, the force of the impact will be distributed more on the back the car seat. Take note that adults usually suffer from whiplash during a slight fender bender. If the body of a 2-year old is in the same position as adults, the arms, legs and the head will move forward upon impact and then retract back to the seat.
If the child seat is facing the rear, the back of the car seat will receive the brunt of the impact. Children are more seriously injured when the car seat is in a forward-facing position. The American Academy of Paediatrics advices the rear-facing position for car seats when the child is less than 2 years old.
The baby car seat should accommodate the newborn comfortably and should pass safety standards. It is also important to ensure that the car seat will be compatible to the vehicle particularly if the family has different cars. The car seat might be different for a small car or an older vehicle.