What you should be saying is: keep them rear-facing until at least 2 years of age or the upper height and weight limit that the manufacturer specifies for that seat.

Now, we're actually going to change that. In the past, we used to say to families: keep children rear-facing until at least 1 year of age and 20 pounds. What we're doing is just becoming clearer with the recommendations. In case you haven't had the chance to read the recommendations, let me tell you what's new. When reviewing child development, make sure to applaud the developmental milestones that are reached and encourage parents to move those kids along, but caution them not to do that with safety, particularly child passenger safety. But, safety often requires us to hold back. Parents are excited when their children reach developmental milestones and want to push them on to the next step. Every time a parent moves a child from one stage to the next, like rear-facing to forward-facing, they reduce the safety benefits. The common theme that underlies the recommendation is: don't rush the transition. In a subsequent podcast, I'll tell you how to use these recommendations when giving guidance to your families. In this podcast, I'll review the recommendations with you and simplify them. These created lots of buzz among parents and physicians. On March 21, 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines on child passenger safety, based on up-to-date information. I'm a general pediatrician, a biomechanical engineer, and I co-direct The Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Chop car seat check