What is the pound limit when you can turn the car sear around to face forward? My husband asked me yesterday and I didn't know. Allison weighs 21 pounds 8.5 ounces now so I figure she is getting pretty close and I know she would like it so much more to face forward.
We are leaving her rear facing until she is one year at least.
The min is 1 year and at least 20 lbs. I recommend staying rear facing untill the seats limit. It is so much safer for her. My daughter is 2 years old and 22 lbs and is still rear facing. My husband wanted to switch her and i showed him this
http://youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8
Most car seats are 22lbs. but they need to be 1 year old first. I have a 13 mo old and she is 18 lbs so she is still rear facing. It is a pain getting her in the car but we are going to follow the suggested guidelines for her safety.
If you get an answer to this i would really like to know. My daughter just hit 20 lbs so if you could let me know what you find out that would be great!! Thanks.
--S.
Hi D.,
There is some scary advice given on here, but Tiffany T (below) is correct. Please listen to me as I am a CPS (Child Passenger Safety) Advocate, and pursuing my CPST Certification. I reasearch for many hours a day this topic. This is my passion and my niche if you will.
There is a law depending on your state, most are 20lbs AND 1 year old, but please keep in mind this is ONLY the minimum state law. The law doesn't always mean safest. It is recommended by many organizations including the American Pediatrics Association to leave your child rear-facing to the limits of their carseats which is anywhere from 30-35lbs. My daughter is almost 3 and is still rear-facing, and will continue doing so probably for another year. She is actually more comfortable that way.
There is NO documented cases of legs being broken, but MANY cases of internal decapitation. Your child will be much safer to keep him/her rear-facing until 30-35lbs. Here are some links to my sources of information. Please feel free to email me if you have any other questions regarding this, or any questions regarding carseats and installation of.
www.car-seat.org
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRP7ynNI8mI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8
Rear-facing is the safest position the child can ride in. It is strongly recommended that all children stay rear-facing beyond the minimum requirements of 1 year and 20 lbs. Children should not be turned forward-facing until they reach the maximum rear-facing limits of a convertible seat (that allows rear-facing to at least 30 lbs). These limits are either the maximum rear-facing weight limit or when the top of their head is within one inch of the top of the seat shell, whichever comes first. While most parents are aware that they must keep their children rear-facing "until they are AT LEAST 1 year old AND 20 lbs", very few are told that there are significant safety benefits when a child remains rear-facing as long as the seat allows. For most children, rear-facing can and should continue well into the second year of life.
They have to be one year old AND 20 pounds. Ask you pediatrian.
How old is your daughter? ideally you should leave your child rear facing for as long as the seat allows (around 30 lbs) that is the safest. But the minimum your child should be is 1 year AND 20 lbs.
Listen to Melissa F below. I had a car seat expert/specialist show us how to install our car seats properly & she gave us priceless advice. Let them be rear facing as long as possible, it's the safest. I would love my 1-year old (bday today!) to face forward to watch the DVD player like her big brother but I know rear is best. So she will be there until she just refuse to. Good luck!
I went to the fire station when my son was just over 20 pounds to have them properly install our carseat facing forward and the fireman said that it was best to keep him rear facing until 30 pounds. However, you need to make sure that your car seat allows for that, meaning check manual for the specific weight requirements of you carseat. If it says it is safe to keep your child rear facing until 30 pounds than that's what the firemen recommend.
I'll spare you the gory details but the fireman said that he had seen some pretty bad crashes and it was safer for kiddos to be rear facing for as long as possible so their neck muscles can strengthen. Even if their legs are cramped up it's better to stay rear facing.
R.
I think everyone pretty much covered your question (20 lbs and 1 year at the very least). However I would like to reiterate that it is safest to keep your child facing backwards for as long as you can. Kids don't really need much leg room. If your carseat can stay backward facing for up to 30 lbs. or more, as some do, I would go ahead and keep them facing backwards. Children's neck muscles are more developed at a year, but if you've seen any crash test videos on forward facing infant seat crashes you will notice that their spines can be severely compromised when they are forward facing. When they are backward facing in a head on collision their spines aren't compromised as much because the momentum of the car doesn't force the seat forward like it does in the forward facing seats. I was so excited to be able to turn my boys around and see them while I was driving, but in hindsight, it really would have been safer to just leave them backward facing a little longer.
at first I was like Whoo hoo.. our son is almost 1.. he can ride forward.. I am sure he will be happy to see me!!...
but after looking up infromation.. I was happy to keep him backeards!!! It is much saferer!!! Look up info that the past poster had links for. you will see. It is much much safter to keep them in the backward way for as long as you can!!! I plan on it for much much longer.
I dont know what kind of seat some of the ladys have. But my son has A ton of room! My gosh Just a ton. Maybe some seats are made major different! http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b93/thespookyone/7%20-%... This is a pic of Josh in our van.. And well It was a few 3 months back.. he still can not touch the back of the seat.... And he is not short!! But I guess the seat my older son had was a bit cramped...
IF you can let your child sit backwards Do it.. Some do till 2 It is ok!!! and safe.. I plan on it!!! I want to let my child be safe!!! I love him that much!!! Plus Hey Side air bags heeheeheh I love my new van!!!
Good luck!!!! Drive safe!!!
I will just add to the other comments below. Our rule in our house is the 1 yr AND 20 pounds.
T.
Hello,
Babies have to be 20 lbs and one year old before they face forward. Just and FYI, both my sons "grew out" of our infant carrier before they were 20lbs and one year, so we had to get a car seat that converted to a rear and then front facing seat. Most infant carriers can only hold babies up to about 26", I think. There should be a label on the carrier. Hope this helps.
The pound limit on most car seats starts at 20 pounds. Most doctors will tell you to turn the car seat around when your child is 20 pounds and can sit up on their own without falling over.
D. B
To face forward the child must be 1 year old and 20 lbs. But the age is more important.
The child has to be 20 lbs AND 12 months old is the "rule" but my son was 19 lbs and 10 oz. at his 12 month (now 3 yrs old) check up and the Dr. spacifically stated that "rule" but said he would be ok to turn since he was so close and he was very strong and healthy. Now I have another baby and he is 10 1/2 month old and was 20 lbs and 6 oz at his 9 month visit and his pediatrition said not to turn him until he reached his 1st birthday even though he has reached the weight
Hope this helps back up most of the other responses.
The requirement is 20lbs and 1 year of age.
It's recommended that infants should remain in a rear-facing seat as long as possible. The general guideline is 12 months and 20 pounds. This is because the muscles in her neck are strong enough yet to keep her safe if you were in an accident.
20 lbs is the limit but she needs to be 1 year old because head/neck control. Before 1 year the Dr.'s say that she isn't strong enough to support her head properly if there were to be an accident
The answer to your question is that they have to be 20 pounds AND 1 year old to turn the carseat around. Not one or the other. My son has been about 20 pounds since he was about 5 months old. He turns 1 in a week so we will finally get to turn it around. Just be patient. She will be 1 before you know it.
The weight requirement is 20lbs BUT the child MUST be at least 1 year old before turning the carseat around to face the front. All children under 1 year reguardless of weight or height must be in a rear-facing seat. The manual that came with the carseat should have the requirements listed in it also.
regardless of the pound limit and age, are her feet touching the back of the seat ? if they are with her rear facing if you were to get in an accident like rear ending somebody else or something like this its very possible that it would break her legs, or pelvis or some other injury. i would talk to your pediatician about it before you. with my 2nd child i had to turn his carseat around when he was 9 months old, and the reason why was because he was crawling out of his infant seat it didnt matter how tight i made the straps he would still get out, and while i was driving. i had no choice. if she sitting comfortable and not fussing when you are driving i would push it as long as you can otherwise talk to your dr. hope this helps you, mom of 4 children, W.
The law says one year and 20 lbs. She is safest to stay rear-facing until she reaches the upper weight limit of her seat, however.
The y have to be at least 1 and usually 20 pounds, but it depends on your car seat. Ours limit was 22 pounds - check the manual or look it up online just to be sure.
the pound limit is 20 pounds to turn them forward facing, I have three kids so I know pretty much all about the car seats.
The law says that they have to be 1 year old and at least 20 pounds. We just put our daughter in a front facing. We got a really great one from Babies R Us. The Britax Marathon, it was really easy to install, I did it by myself and it doesn't move at all.
car seat mfr's. recommendation are 1 year old, for bone development AND 20 pounds MINIMUM to be front facing.
My son was 10mths and 20lbs when we turned him around to face forward. My husband was a police officer for 10 years and took a certified car seat safety course. He said as long as the child has good neck control at 20lbs it is okay to turn the seat around before age 1yr.
Hello,
You know When we had our first child we would take all of our new car seats to the fire station so they would show us the proper way to put our car seats in. Well we have been told many times that the 20lbs and 1 yo thing is a min and you should keep them turned backwards as long as you car seat allows. We get Britex and you can keep them backwards until 33 lbs. They say that their neck muscles are still not strong enough when you get in a wreack that most babies who will have serious injuries will be the ones that are turned around to early and that they can go through a stonger inpact backwards.We Didnt turn our older around until the age two. She is is only 33lbs now. Our 16 mo is backwards also she will be until about 2 yo or older.
I am not sure about the weight limit, I think it is around 20 lbs, but she has to be a year old. Before one year of age their neck muscles are not strong enough to handle to impact of a crash. You can call your doctor or local police/fire department. Most police/fire departments do car seat safety checks on a regular basis and should be able to help you out. I know when my kids were able to face forward it was like a whole new world to them. They loved it!
J.
I turned my son at like seven months... he too had met the weight requirement... and it was the middle of July and couldnt get any air in the back seat... except our dog breathing on him from the back of the car. LOL.
The weight and age is soley a recommendation, not the law. If you feel comfortable with your little one facing forward already... then do it.
Good Luck!
I would check the manual for the carseat. They all list the weight limits and resictions.
State law reguires that the child be at least one year of age and 20 lbs. Make sure the front facing carseat is designed for children under 30lbs. We had a hard time finding them.
If you still have the book for your current car seat, it should tell you but if I remember correctly our daughter weighed 25 pounds when we turned her to face front. She was 1 1/2 years old when we did that.
I believe u have to wait until they turn a year old and weigh i think 20 pounds but it has to be both.
It is 1yr or 20 lbs, HOWEVER as a former Police Officer it should be 1 year AND 20 lbs. There are many 1 yr olds that are not 20 lbs and need to remain rear facing. Same goes for weight. They might hit 20 lbs before turning 1 BUT they DO NOT have the neck muscles that they need to sustain a forward impact and need to stay rear facing.
Personally, I would keep my child (and did both) rear facing until they are a year old AND 20 lbs.
It's the safest!!
I'm pretty sure that it is one year of age AND 20 lbs. It needs to be both, not just one or the other. My son is only 8 months, but weighs 20 lbs. I finally took him out of his infant seat, but his new seat is still facing backwards. Hope this helps.
Age is more important than weight here. Our pediatrician said turn it around at the 1st birthday because this is about the time where your baby will have enough muscle control in her head/neck to withstand an accident with carseat facing forward.
I looked it up online (because I couldn't remember exactly the rules) but your daughter should be 20 pounds and 1 year old. Until 1 year children don't have the neck muscles needed should you be in an accident. Here is the link to the page with more information. http://www.saferchild.org/carseat.htm Hope this helps!
it's One Year AND 20lbs- and they do recommend staying back facing as long as possible(and if you check it out most say closer to 2-3 years rear facing)- that being said my Ped ok'd us to move DS around at 1 yr even though he was a runt but was very strong neck-wise and almost walking at that point- wont have a problem with my youngest because like yours he's bigger at almost 8.5 mo than his bro was at 13 mo! :) Keep her rear facing till a year!
BUT THEY ARE TO BE ONE YEAR AND 20 LBS so you can't turn her yet.
L.
If possible check the manual on the car seat....they will usually tell ya...otherwise I believe its either one year old or 30lbs.
Each infant car seat is different. I have a Chicco and the weight limit is 26 lbs, and 30 inches long. For the most part I think that's is pretty standard, but if you got to your brands website they will usually have the information your looking for.
Hope this helps!
I know my daughter was very big for her age...but her pediatrition told me no way should I turn her forward until she is exactly 12m. That until that age no matter how big their neck muscles are not strong enough and if you have them forward facing and you are in even a small fender bender it can break her neck because she does not have the neck muscles to brace herself. Just thought I'd through that out there because it made a big difference to me.
The recommendations for turning your infant's car seat around to face forward are 20 lbs. and they must be at least 1 year of age. Until they are at least a year old babies necks still aren't strong enough to handle the switch to forward facing, which weight has no impact on. Many pediatricians and safety experts recommend leaving a car seat rear-facing well past the first birthday for this very reason. To find out more and have your car seat inspected when it is time to turn it around visit www.safekids.org.
The child has to be at least 1 year old and then if they are at least 20 lbs. they can face forward, but they have to be 1 first.
Wow, alot of responses to your question D.!! I am so glad you asked this question and so many have answered because this was a very troubling question to me as well.
I have a one year old (in 10 days), but he is small (only 16 pounds), but I didn't know about the 20 pound, 1 year guideline until after buying him a gorgeous new front facing carseat. I was so excited to be able to put him in a carseat and see him and he see us while on road trips until I read about the guidelines of weight and age. My husband wants to put him in the front facing carseat now because he is (almost) one year old, but I was unsure and asked him if we could wait just a little longer. After reading the information in some of the posts here and looking at the great websites some of you have posted, I have decided to keep him rear facing as long as possible and will definately explain to my husband now my thoughts and fears and show him the websites as well.
I am so thankful for all of you who have responded!!! Thanks for helping me out, as well as hopefully D..
I think it is not all together a weight thing. You are supposed to have the seat rear facing until the child is a year old.
From what I know it's against the law to turn children around until they are over the age of one...but i'm sure that if you go to a local police department or a WIC office they can tell you
It's recommended that the child be a year old, as well as 20 pounds, but you should ask your pediatrician, too.
I had the same question and its 24lbs. or aboved the age of one. But i would ask your dr. to see if s/he feels like your daughter as enough muscle. Thats what my dr said about my son.
Weight is not the only requirement! Babies must be at least one before you can turn them around because they have better head and neck control. It is just a lot safer! If she is bored, there are lots of fun toys available to make car rides more enjoyable. I would try a little mirror made for infants. Babies love them! Good luck!
In the state of Oklahoma, it is 20 lbs. AND 1 year of age. Before this it is not safe. If you are found in violation there are hefty fines. Check out Carset.org, or your local DOT website. Hope that helps.
My daughter was the age Allison is when I turned her car seat around.
It's not a pound limit thing. Rule of thumb is one year or when they're fully walking - whichever is first. It has something to do with how developed their neck and back muscles are in case of an accident. (this is what our doc told us when we asked...)
Hi D.. I don't know what state you are in, but in Illinois the child has to be 1 year old AND 20 lbs to turn them around. If the child is too long and their feet are scrunching up, you need to get permission from the police department first.
You can call your local Babys R Us, they always know the rules.
Have a fabulous day!~
J.
over 20 lbs and 1 year old.
my daughter is VERY tall, and our grew her carrier car seat quickly. At about 9 months we had to get a bigger car seat (a convertable one, goes rear facing to front facing to booster...up to 100 lbs), but kept her rear facing until well over 1 year old!! I believe that is the law in most states.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
Also five point harness is the way to go.....
I have read 22 pounds AND one year old. My daughter is about 22 lbs now... but the doctor recomended waiting until she turns a year old before turning them around to face forward... when I went on walmarts web site to look for a new car seat it said the same recommendation...
My pediatritian told me that they MUST face backwards until they are AT LEAST one year. They also have to weigh at least 20 pounds to be able to face forward, but my son was a big baby as well and the Dr. said he could not face forward until he was a year old. Their neck muscles are not developed enough before that, no matter how much they weigh, and they could be seriously injured in a crash. If she is outgrowing her infant seat, you may want to get a convertable car seat that can be installed facing front or back and just face it backwards until she is one.
They have to be 20 lbs. AND 1 year old. I know it's hard to wait. My 9 month old HATES riding in the car, and I'm hoping facing him forward will make a big difference here in a few months. They actually recommend you keep them rear-facing as long as possible because it's so much safer, but both of my kids were screamers in the car. My daughter was like a whole new kid when we turned her around.
YOur child should be faced forward in her car seat when she is ONE year old. or her feet are touching the seat. The reason for this is their neck muscles arent strong enough and if you were in a car accident it could hurt her really bad. Her neck is not strong enough to with stand force to it. Take your time turning her around it is safer that way.
As you can see the laws and opinions are varied. The matter really depends on 3 things. Your state laws, your daughter's size and your carseat.
For front facing IT IS ONE YEAR OLD AND 20 POUNDS IN WEIGHT. But if your child is longer than her carrier it's time for a convertible. You might want to invest in a convertible that will handle a heavier kid in the rear facing position if you have a heavier kid. The two I just passed on to a teen mother have rear facing limits of 22 pounds. None of my boys weighed more than 20 at a year old.
For more valuable informations here's an article:
http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=...
I have also invested in a Saftey 1st Apex 65 because it will hold my 5 year old in the 5 point harness until he's 65 pounds. Our laws are 6 and 40 pounds but the older truck we have doesn't have shoulder belts in the back seat.
I think it is 20 pounds, but I am not positive. There should be a sticker on your carseat that tells you this information. If there isn't, your pediatrician can probably tell you.
Most convertable seats can remain rear-facing until 30lbs or so. Utube has some great car seat safety videos if you're interested.
I believe it is 20 lbs. You can probably call your pediatricians office (mine has the info posted on his walls) or even the sherriff's office or police office to find out for sure. But I think it is 20 lbs AND 1 year old.
Good Luck.
To turn the car seat around to face forward your child has to be one year and 20 pounds. Also check your car seats instructions. Some give the weight for which that car seat is ready to turn around.
one year old AND 20 pounds - so it's safest just to wait until she's a year old. You can check this out at the National Highway Transportation Safety Board website...www.nhtsa.com
Per state laws the child must be one years old before being moved to the forward facing position.
