Front Facing Car Seat

The Best Practice is one year old and 20 lbs. (it takes a year for the hip and shoulders to solidify enough to withstand the forward facing forces of a collision.) I am a Safety Seat Tech here in Calif. There are seats out there rated to 35 lbs rear facing.

I do believe they have to be a year old. I think you legally have to go by age and not weight on this one.

Hi!
I have 3 kids (#4 is on the way). The correct time is 20 lbs AND 1 year. This is so that the baby's neck muscles and body to head weight ratio is safest. All three of my girls were small and did not forward face until 16 to 20 months old. It took them all that long to reach 20 pounds. My pediatrician confirmed these regulations to me every child because I always wanted to forward face them sooner. I know lots of mom's who do forward face once they reach 20 lbs regardless of age, and 1 year old regardless of weight, but I never wanted to take a chance.

Sincerely, W.

Not ok. The law is 20 pounds AND 1 year old, however, it is safer to keep them rear facing until they reach the maximum weight set by the car seat manufacturer. I know that we are all anxious to turn our kids around, but they usually don't mind sitting backwards and it is soooo much safer. My daughter is on the small side at 20 pounds and 19 months and we will have her rear facing until she maxes out the carseat at 30 pounds.
Here is something my friend shared with me and it includes a link you may want to check out. I hope this helps :)
S.
hey guys! :) i was talking to some friends online and the topic of forward facing carseats (and how we cant wait to turn the little people around when they turn one!) came up... and i got some pretty amazing information that i wanted to share since we all have little ones. :)

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx

there are some videos there that seriously made my heart skip a beat! i'll be keeping caleb rear facing until he's either too heavy or too tall to safely ride rear facing (byt he carseat makers standards) - longer if i can find a carseat with heavier/taller standards! yikes!

You have been given great advice except that the "mighty-tite" is an unsafe aftermarket "tool" Keep him rearfacing until he is at least 1 year and at leat 20 pounds (22 pounds in some seats) And he is much safer is you keep him rear facing to the maximum you seat allows (probably 33-35 pounds)
Check out the forums on car-safety.org for any seat questions!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62Ea8Fs4ng this is the impact rear facing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMFPSStXfqE this is the impact forward facing
My daughter is 2 yo and rearfacing at 24 pounds

Seems like plenty of people have answered your question already, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in, since this issue is a pet peeve of mine.

It is 1 year AND 20 pounds, no "OR" about it. As people have already said, the issue isn't really about their weight, but about their neck strength and until they turn one, at the least, they're NOT able to control their necks enough in the even of an accident. So, rear facing is MUCH safer until AT LEAST one. Also, if he's getting too big for his infant sized seat, invest in a good convertible seat and put him in that. Remember that HE doesn't know the difference and there are a lot of fun toys you can invest in to keep him occupied for the next few months.

As far as I'm concerned, it's much more important to keep them safe while in the car, than to turn them around because you want them to be entertained. Which isn't what you were asking about, but what other people have alluded to!

Good luck!

Hi! It's one year AND 20 pounds...even if your little chunky monkey weighs enough, it is important that you wait until he is one so that the soft tissue and ligaments in his little neck are mature enough to potentially handle a crash in which he is forward-facing.

Hi T..

I had a chunky-monkey too. :) Gotta love them cheeks!

I, for one, would wait until your little one is AT LEAST 1 year old. I read somewhere that development is a huge factor. (mobility/control issues) Rear facing is truly the safest for our younger babies. If it's a matter of space, You could always upgrade to a convertible seat.

Hope that helps.

The law is 20 lbs. AND 1 year. i had the opposite problem with my older one she was over 15 mo. before she hit 20 lbs. and my new one is 5 mo and 16lbs 12oz. i am going to have to invest in a convertible carseat. i would suggest the same for you.

It is 20 lbs and a minimum of 1 year old. If your son has outgrown the weight limits of the infant seat then you need to buy him a new seat with a larger weight limit that can still be rear facing. It is not only about weight but also muscle development.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7d635...

http://www.boosterseat.gov/4StepsFlyer.pdf

Hi~

We had a similar situation with a happily healthy baby girl who grew out of her infant, rear facing car seat very quickly. I was concerned about putting her in a front facing car seat too early but after talking to our doctor we realized the most important thing was to have her in the correct car seat for her weight. She was actually 6 months at the time but exceeded the weight limit. Your specific car seat should have a specific weight limit. They range from 20-23 lbs I think. I believe ours was a 20 lbs. limit. If you no longer have your paperwork I would think you could look on line. Hope this helps. Our baby girl does just fine in the front facing car seat now and is still a little bruiser at 11 months she is over 30 lbs!

The correct law is 1 year AND 20 pounds. Your child needs to be both 1 years old and 20 lbs. or heavier. Good luck to you.
Nikki

The rule is 20 pounds or 1 year, whichever comes last. So, they have to be 20 pounds and 1 year old before you are supposed to turn the seat around.

The law says 1year and 20 pounds. Everyone thinks it is or. The problem is not just weight, but the strength of the babies neck to take any impact. I'm sure he won't mind for a few more months, and he can see his sibling better when he is rear facing. Good Luck

It's one year AND 20 pounds - they have to be both. :o) And the longer they're facing backwards, the better - it's the safest.

T., I'm sure everyone else has responded but in case they haven't - it's one year AND 20 pounds. The weight counts but so does the age because of head control.

Then to a booster is 40 pounds and the new recommendation for leaving the booster is actually height - 4 feet 9 inches.

Hope that helps!

H.

Hi,

The rule as I understand is 1 year and at least 20 pounds, so I would wait until your son is at least a year even though he already weighs more than 20 pounds - better to be safe, I think, since there doesn't seem to be any harm to waiting another 4 months because he will be forward-facing for a long time. Hope this helps!

Dear T.,
The correct time is 1 year and 20 pounds - it has to be both. It has to do with the baby's brain development and the baby's ability to withstand injury during a car crash. It was explained to me that there is less chance of brain damage and neck injury to the baby if he is facing backwards and has not yet reached 1 year and 20 pounds. 8 months is too soon to turn him around no matter how big he is because at 8 months he is not fully developed enough to withstand injury if he faces forward.

Check out babycenter.com for more detailed info.

Good luck.

L.

One Year AND 20 lbs. It has to be both. I did turn my youngest around a few weeks early but that was because he was over 20 and his feet were hitting the back seat. But again, that was only a couple weeks, not months.

I thought it was one year AND 20 lbs.

One year AND 20 pounds

Also, even though it's many years away, leave your child in the five-point restraint as long as possible; a booster seat doesn't prevent your child from flying out of the seat in an accident

Cheers

The law states 1 year AND 20 lbs. I think that means they have to be at least a year old before you turn them around.

i turned my son around 1, in a 5 harnest straps. later is better than too early. good luck

The rule is 20lbs AND 1 year old. You have to wait at least until his birthday to turn him around. The reason is the way their bones develop/strengthen over the first year, in a crash the impact will be less on his weak spots in the rear facing position. Wait as long as possible to turn him around, that's what is safest.

Hi T.! I believe carseat manufacturers recommend that BOTH requirements (age and weight) are met before the carseat is forward-facing. Hope this helps!

T.,
It's one years old AND at least 20 pounds. Many infant car seats are only for babies up to 20 or 22 pounds, so it may be time to get a bigger car seat. Many of the forward facing car seats are also made to be rear facing, so your little guy can be in a bigger, more comfy car seat but still be rear-facing like he is supposed to. Hope this helps!

I believe it is a year AND 20 lbs, but that is the minimal standard for safety. Before I had my daughter, I did a lot of research about all things baby and parent related, including car seats. Boy were my eyes opened! I went to a site about crash testing and infant and convertible seats. Improperly installed seats killed babies, babies turned around too soon were injured in little more than fender benders, kids who should have been in car seats or boosters and were not got strangled by the seatbelts. Before all this, I had incorrectly and naively assumed that my daughter would be done with a carseat by the time she was three.

Keep in mind this was just the crash test footage, nobody was actually harmed in these videos, but it prompted me to look up info from the DMV and for recommendations from pediatricians.

I kept my daughter rearfacing in her infant seat till 14 months, and then she went to a convertible seat and stayed rear facing until she was two. She's only 30 lbs now at four, but she is almost tall enough that her head is at the top of her seat.

A lot of people are in such a hurry to move their child forward facing, one of the reasons to wait is that their spine and neck are not strong or developed enough to withstand the forces of a crash if they are forward facing. It's sad that the minimal standards are not what are safest, and the standards are different by state.

A child is required by law to be 1 year AND 20 lbs. before using a front facing car seat. If he is getting too big for the infant car seat, buy a front facing car seat, but install it in the rear facing position. This will give him more room.

You can also have the car seat installed by a AAA car seat specialist. They are very good about answering your questions!

But legally you have to wait until he turns a year old before you can turn the car seat around.

No, your child must be one year old AND 20 pounds to turn the seat around.

1 year AND 20 lbs. Although they say it is safer to keep them rear facing as long as possible.

Hi T.!
The rule/law is 1 year AND 20 pounds. However, you don't have to turn your baby around at that time; the safest way for them to ride is rear-facing. The reason for the 1 year mark is because their neck muscles are not strong enough to sustain a crash while front-facing. Hope this helps!

-J.

I have a 10 month old, who is 17 1/2 pounds. I asked my doctor the same question. She said the rule used to be 1 year or 20 pounds. Now it is 1 year and 20 pounds. So, they need to meet both requirements.

T.,

It is at least 1 year old AND 20 pounds. Even though your babe is heavier his neck muscles would likely not survive a crash in the forward facing position at this point.

T.

My ped informed me that it should be 12 months of age due to neck support. Check with your doctor, he/she will be the best informed.
K.

they cant face forward until they are BOTH 20 lbs AND 1 year old...but the longer you can stretch it (like, if his feet dont seem to hit the back seat exactly at one year), the safer....

I was just at The RIght Start asking the same question, and they say the baby has to be BOTH one year old AND 20 pounds to face them forward. An article I have from Parenting magazine, says use the convertible seat rear-facing "from birth until around 30 pounds. Even if your child has turned 1, keep him rear-facing until he reaches the upper weight limit or the top of his head is less than an inch from the top of the seat." It goes on to say that convertible seats forward-facing are "from AT LEAST 1 year old and 20-30 pounds."

Hope that helps!

A.

You have to wait until he is one year old.

wait until one year. an eight month old's neck isn't strong enough to withstand a car accident front facing.

You need to wait until he is one year old AND 20 or more pounds. Their neck and spine are still too weak and immature to sit forward until they are one. My sons were both out of a carrier by 5 months because they were so long and heavy. We had to get a stationary seat and keep it facing backwards until they were one. It's a pain to get them in and out when they are so little, especially when they are sleeping, but I wouldn't take the chance of a neck injury for the convinience. Hope this helps.

I am curious to know too...

I found this website for you. It suggests 1 year and 20 pounds, but it also says that u should have a certain type of rear facing seat for Children over 22 pounds.

http://www.carseat.org/Resources/633.pdf

The law in CA (and most other states) is 1 year AND 20 pounds. This is because the neck and chest muscles are not developed enough until after the 1st B-day to withstand a head on collision. As a Public Health Nurse, I have seen what can happen to kids who are turned around too soon. Please be patient and wait until your son's 1st birthday. Have a great day.
:)

My understanding is that it is a legal requirement that your baby stay facing backward until he is a year old or 20 pounds *whichever comes later.* So, in your case, you still need to have him facing backward until he turns a year old. Good luck.

The latest that I have heard is mandatory 20 lbs AND one year old plus a reccomendation of keeping them backward facing longer.

They must be atleast 1 year old (for neck control reasons) AND atleast 20 lbs so in other words you should wait until he is 12 months but you don't have to wait anylonger then that like you would if he wasn't already 25 lbs

If you live in Clark county you can have any car seat installed by Clark County safe kids http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/ignore;jsessi...

sorry it is super ling if this doesn't work search clark county safe kids

I went to a highway patrol few days ago to intall my car seat for my son,he is 25 pounds.I bought for him forward facing seat ,but my son is 16 month.Since your child is 8 month old,contact you highway patrol in your area and theiy will tell you for sure.

I thought the same thing. My son was 10 months old and 22 pounds. When I asked his pedi she told me that they reason they say 1 year is because of their neck strength. If you flip the car seat to forward facing when they are under 1 year you risk whip lash.

It was always my understanding that the child had to pass both milestones (1 year AND 20 pounds) before they could face forward.

Hi T.,
The reason you don't turn the car seat around to forward facing is not only because the law says not to, but also because your son's neck muscles are not mature enough. If you were to crash he may get serious injuries to his neck. I know sometimes they don't like to face backwards and make your trip very hard even to the store. If you haven't tried the Fisher price mirrors that are out there try those or even draw a picture for him to see and tape it to the back of the seat he is facing. Maybe even an adult t-shirt that is really colorful can be layed on the seat he is facing. He may just want something to look at. Good luck and follow the law. It is only in place to protect you and your loved ones.

The law says 1 and 20 lbs however, it is much safer for them to remain RearFacing to the limit of their convertible. For instance Evenflo is good to 35lbs Britax 33lbs (this is in the states, outside it varies according to their seats) Their spinal isn't fused yet and one way of putting it is: internal decapation! I'm not trying to scare anybody, but state just that it is safer to keep them RF for as long as possible.

Here is a you tube video to show the difference between RF and FF in an accident:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo

Also you should check out www.car-seat.org as there are many tech on this site who can help with any questions you have.

Apparently the recommendations are currently changing and it will be 29 months! Also kids in boosters until age 10 or 48 inches. I've heard this from a Lactation Consultant but haven't looked it up yet myself. It's not widely known yet but is in the works and I believe will be enforced - maybe check it out for yourself?
A.

They should be BOTH 1 year old AND over 20 pounds. An eight month old does not have the neck control necessary to deal with an impact if facing forward.

Conversely, if you have a one year old who does not weigh 20 pounds, you also need to wait until s/he does.

They are safest facing backwards anyway, so don't rush it, even if your infant meets both requirements.

Rear facing car seat is the safest. Any emergency room doctors will confirm this. We were hit by a drunk driver in Coronado and my daughter was the safest in the car because of the position of the car seat. The rule 1 year and 20 pounds. She is now 17 months and 21 pounds. We just turned her car seat to front facing last night, because of her height and confortability and because she is now over 1 year and over 20 pounds. Hope this helps!
M.

Rear facing until 1 year and 20 pounds, kiddos need to meet both of the requirements inorder to move on to the next phase.

T.,
The longer the child is rear facing the better and safer it is. I would say the child should meet the minimum of 1 year AND be above 20 lbs. If the child is already 20 lbs but is not 1 year old, then you should wait until both are met. Rear facing is definitely safer for the child. My husband worked at Ford Motor & Chryster in Michigan and was able to be around the crash tests, etc. You never want to be anxious to move the child into the next thing ever when your car and child are involved. Hope that helps!

I really agonized over this one myself, and the research I did led me to the conclusion that they are safer facing backwards, and you want to keep them that way as long as it's safe and practical - based mainly on the weight limit on the seat.

Usually the car seat will have a maximum weight for rear-facing listed on the seat itself, and they're not all the same. Mine were 12 and 13 kilos (I have one in each car), so unless yours are higher, you're getting pretty close to the right time to turn them around.

Oh - the research thing - one of the factoids that influenced me is that a lot of kids are injured because parents turn them around too early. Of course, exceeding the specs on the seat would also be bad.

I don't know about any other state, but in the state of California, the law is 1 year ((and)) 20 pounds. Most car seats will explain this either on the side of the car seat or in the manual that comes with the seat. Also, you can always call your doctors office or your local fire department, they always have all the up-to-date regulations and if you have any problems installing your carseat, your local fire department can do that for you as well.

I do believe it's 1 year AND 20 pounds to be forward facing. Double check with your pediatrician though. Do you already have the convertible carseat? If not, I'd get the bigger carseat that can be either forward or rear facing & have him rear facing until he's a year and then turn him around.

Hi T.. I'm afraid to ask how big your son was when he was born! The accepted recomendation for children in forward facing child seats 20 pounds AND 1 years old. Your son has the weight down, but he needs to wait until he is one in order for you to turn the seat around. Take care.

BOTH a year and 20, but check with your pediatrician to be sure. It is quite a relief to turn them around, they feel like they are part of everything finally--not to mention the space saver, but safety is best.

Absolutly one year. Their neck muscles aren't developed enough before 12 months to handle whiplash should their be an accident.

I have three boys and I always turned them around once they hit the 20lbs. or once they kept kicking the back seat. The drive was always more relaxing when they could look around also. I hope this helped.

The law is 1 year old AND 20 pounds... so even though your big guy is 25 lbs at 8 months he still has to be backward facing until 1 year. This is because of the size of the head in proportion to the body in babies.

They have to be 1 year and 20 lbs to turn the car seat around. My 8 mo daughter is 20+ lbs and I feel the same way you do, I can't wait to turn her around.
Hang in there, you only have 4 more months to go =)

it is usually 12 months and 22 pounds before they recommend to turn them forward facing.

You have to wait until he's one year old AND 20 pounds. Babies' necks aren't strong enough to hold their heads up in a rear end crash so they have to face backwards until they turn one. Happy driving! :)

I believe that it is 1 year AND 20 pounds...they have to be both...because their neck is vulnerable in a crash before one year of age.
:)
Sydney

I believe it is as short as 1 year, and as light as Please wait as long as possible. It has to do with the strength of the neck and spine and less about the weight of the child. I've actually been reading reports that say ideally, you won't turn your child's seat around until at least 18 months.

I don't have any links at hand, but you can probably google it.

It should say somewhere ON the car seat. If not get the model number and make and go to the car seat manufacturer web site to be sure. Better safe than sorry. And I'd also like to let you know about a wonderful product I found it's called the Mighty-Tite. Do a google search on it. I found it at my favorite used kids stuff store "Kids Double Time" in Torrance/Redondo Area... You should check it out.

girl, turn that boy around so he can see where he is going. If he is in the bigger carseat then he can be forward facing. just dont put him the front because of airbags. I know people reccomend they stay that way longer, but it just depends. my son actually almost flipped his carseat because he was kicking the rear seat.

I think that you are correct, but I always check with CHP in our area in case the laws change. They always have the current requirements.
M.
www.MrTeaTravel.com

The safest thing to do is to leave your child rear facing for as long as possible. But by law it is 1year AND at least 20 pounds. If you have any other questions about car seats and kids go to NHTSA.com it stands for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are the ones who give all the ratings on car seats and lots of good information.

you know if your son is doing fine facing the rear why change it? he is so much safer facing the rear plus if you are able to see him and he is comfortable than I recommend leaaving him the way he is. But leagally you can change hum I believe at 30 not too sure you can go online to the carseat saftey site and it shoul tell you. good luck and best of wishes...

1 year AND 20 pounds, please keep him backward as long as possible.

They definitely have to be 1- something to do with neck muscle development. I too had a big guy but had to wait until he was one (even though he hit 20 lbs. at 6 months!).

Actually it is 1 year and 20 lbs! My daughter was really long so my doctor advised me to turn her forward facing! I really think that it has a lot to do with if his feet touch the back of the seat as well! It really is safest for them to be older because of back and neck control! Anyway, that is just what I was told! Good luck!

No!! It is 1 years old AND 20lbs (not whichever comes first). The child must be at least 1 years old.

Rear facing is the safest, keeping them rear facing as long as possible is best. Both of mine were 2 when we turned them around.

A CHP Tech once said to me, "legs bend, spines don't".

If your 8mos old is outgrowing his infant carrier there are plenty of convertible seats that you can use rear facing and then turn around when they are ready.
M.

Wow you have quite a few responses so I will not repeat it all. But just have to say the longer you can leave a child rear facing the better, preferably to the maximum weight of your seat. Here are a few links to provide you info about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?
az=show_topic&forum=13&topic_id=44503&mode=full&page

The one thing I do have to repeat is that it is not necessary to turn your child around just because their feet touch the seat. The chances of breaking a leg are slim.

Ok here is some more info.

A childs' vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old. Before then, he/she is at great risk for spinal injury. When rear-facing in a crash, the forces are spread out among the strong carseat shell and baby's strong back. The harness holds baby down in the seat and he/she is cradled and protected. When forward-facing, the harness holds babys' body back, and his/her head flies forward violenty, putting tremendous stress on the neck.

Here's the catch...the spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches, BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 of an inch before it snaps and baby is gone. This is referred to as internal decapitation. Babys' head will be slumped over like he/she is sleeping.

It's very important to keep babies rear-facing to 1 year AND 20 lbs. (both, not either/or) at the very least. It's actually much safer to rear-face to the limits of a convertible carseat, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. A forward-facing child is 4-5 times MORE likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age...not a risk I'll be taking with my babies.

Check out this video for some great information and crash test footage...you'll see the HUGE difference: http://youtube.com/watch?v=kRP7ynNI8mI

T.,
The child has to be BOTH...20 pounds and one year. It's actually recommended by many experts to wait even longer as the child is more safe facing backwards. But, with many children, height forces us to turn them facing front. We turned our daughter at 13 months.
Have fun!
S.

The information I received from a carseat safety clinic was that a child needs to be rear facing until they are at least one year old AND 20 lbs. The reason is that the bones in the neck do not fuse until a baby is about one year old and the rear facing position gives the best support during a collision. The one thing to make sure is that the childs feet are not touching the back of the actual seat of the car, this could cause hip damage in an accident. If you angle the carseat back a bit more this should help so that the feet are not touching the seat back. If you have further questions or just want to make sure you have it right, you can stop by your local police dept. and they will check your installation.

It is very important to keep him turned around until at least one. I know it's hard to do, but their spinal column isn't developed enough yet to turn them around. The people I spoke to said to keep them rear facing for as long as possible. They said being one AND 20 lbs is only a minimum and it shouldn't be looked upon as a milestone. Hang in there!

T. i am a mother of 5 and i recomend that you be safe and dont face it forward until your son is one year old its better to be safe and that is the safest way to have the car seat

i read somewhere that it's 20 pounds AND one year old - something about babies necks not developed enough yet before they are one year old to face forward

Hi T.,
I have a copy of Child Passenger list and it does state that Infants should ride rear facing to age 1 and 20 lbs so I'm not sure if it's one or the other but they do have a number to contact "San Diego Safe Kids Coalition" and they will be able to assist you # ###-###-#### ext 5096.

yes you are correct. One year AND 20 pounds. Any sooner and it's really not safe.

HI T.,

YOur baby must be rear-facing until he is at least a year old, no matter how much he weighs! I think there's also a minimum weight for switching, but I forget what it is, and i'm pretty sure he's past it. But wait until his birthday to have him face forward, because his neck isn't strong enough to support his head in and accident until then. You've got a nice healthy kid, haven't you? Enjoy him!
C.

As explained to me by a police officer: Keep him rear facing as long as you can because the neck is at issue - if you get into a crash, his head is supported better from getting whiplash whereas if you have him facing forward, the injury will be far worse. So, it is 1 year or 20 pounds and they are both accurate but if he still fits and is happy facing rear, keep him that way till you need to change. HTH, =) A.

NO... 1 year AND 20 pounds

I definately would not turn him around yet, not before the 1 year mark and in Europe, they leave them rear facing for much longer. I went to a car seat safety class at St. Joseph Hospital, where I work and had my son, and the instructor advised a minmum of 1 year and try to leave them rear facing even to 18 months if you can. She was an expert...knew every carseat, had been to tons of seminars, really well informed about this subject. Hope this helps.

From what I know is that the reason behind the seat being backwards is because the infants spinal cord isn't strong enough to handle a car crash. You should wait until the infant is one, or check with your doctor and see if the infant's spine is strong enough to handle something like that.

It's 1 yr AND 20 lbs. I turned my oldest at 11mo because she was so long her feet got scrunched. I wouldn't turn until he's older.

Tons of answers already. My son is 2 and a half, and I just turned his seat to forward-facing right around his 2nd birthday. The truth is that the law requires 1 year AND 20lbs, but the longer they are rear-facing, the safer they will be. Even if their legs touch the seat a little bit.

The only reason I turned my son around was because he reached the 33 pound rear-facing limit and I had to at that point.

The decision to keep him rear-facing as long as possible was easy. Just ask yourself, would you rather he have a broken neck, or broken legs?

My understanding is 1 year AND 20 lbs. before you can turn them around. Check with your pediatrician to see what they say about it though.

I believe the law is one year AND 20 pounds. So if your child already is over the 20 pound mark, you still need to wait until their first birthday. Likewise, if you have a little peanut that is under 20 pounds on their first birthday, you should still wait until they are at least 20 pounds. Rear facing is the safest position for a small child. It may be tempting to turn them around and see the world but try to hold off as long as possible. Some car seats, like Britax, can remain rear facing well past their first birthday and up to 33 pounds.

I was told as long as they can stand it. It is by far safer than forward facing. Also, I was told at least an inch clearance from top of head to top of seat if rear facing. I turned my little guy forward at about a year because he is tall and wasn't happy facing rear anymore. Check out this website for more info.
http://www.carseat.org

It is one year AND over 20 lbs. The one year is, I believe, when the neck muscles are strong enough to face forward.

It's not either or, the child has to be BOTH 1 year old AND reached the required weight.

When I went in for my daughters one year appointment they stated as long as she was one year and over twenty pounds that it was ok to turn the car seat around. I waited a month longer until her legs could not longer face into the seat before turning it around.

The rule is 20 pounds and one year. The reason is because children don't fully develop the neck muscle control until 1 year. If there was a accident and he was forward facing he could get really hurt. I know they seem so much happier when they are forward facing. We could barely wait ourselves to turn each child forward facing. Hope this helps, mother of three.

This website is a great resource for you:

http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

In it, you'll read that the child needs to be 1 year AND at least 20 pounds. If he's getting to long/big for the infant seat you could put him in a "forward facing seat" but keep him facing BACKWARDS until his birthday.

When I went to the doctor with my 9 month old the doc said that he needed to be 1yrold and weigh 20 pounds he said even though he weighs that much he has to be one 1 before you can face him forward. I hope this helps

I've heard it's much safer to wait until they are at least 1yr old before turning the seat around regardless of their weight.

From what I understand from the doctor, the baby must be BOTH at least 20 pounds AND one year old, so don't turn him around just yet!

I would check with your doctor and the guide that came with the car seat. However if your son is really long for his age and over the weigh limit, it may be dangerous for him to sit rear facing as his legs could break on impact in the case of a collision.

hi, it is 20 lbs AND 1 yr. they don't have the muscle developement to withstand an accident front facing. go to the state CHP website for more info. e

rear-facing is the SAFEST until they are over 1 year old AND 20 pounds. Keep him facing backward as long as he will tolerate it but at minimum until 1 year old . I kept my daughter rear-facing until 15 months when her feet were starting to get crampt, she was 26 pounds by then.

I believe I started putting my daughter front facing at 9 months because she was already 20 lbs. Ask your pediatrician just to make sure.

T., your child has to be 12 months and at least 20lbs, that mean both, not either. so wait until he is 12 months and you are covered because he is already over 20lbs. good luck
Emily

I've been told it's 1 year AND 20 lbs under NV law. Hope that helps.

it's 1 year AND 20 lbs. I know it's hard when they are so big, but it's better to be safe than sorry. My husband is a police officer and sees families who turn their kids around too early.

California Law is 1yr & 20 lbs. They are much safer rear facing so if your car seat weight recommendations can handle it, it is safer to keep them rear facing as long as possible. I waited til they were 18/19 months and 25 lbs.

Good luck

Wow there are already a lot of responses but here's my 2 cents :)

I changed to a front facing car seat with my son when he was 10 months old because he didn't fit into his rear facing one anymore.

He was so tall that his feet were out of the rear facing carseat and he used to kick and try to get comfortable all the time. After a couple weeks of that, I found a great front facing car seat that has a 5 point harness and an AMAZING frame and keeps really safe.

It's by Recarro - a company that started out making seats in race cars and now makes a line of 5 point childseats and booster seats. The back of the carseat can slide up and down to make sure the child's head is in the correct position to be protected and he now has all the room his long legs needed!

http://www.recarochildseat.com/?gclid=CIe8n9Phv5ECFRscawo...

There are others out there, but these are amazing and my family all bought one for their cars so my little man is in the safest hands possible :)

The rule is that you need to be 20 pounds and one year of age before you turn the seat around. Most babies reach the weight limit prior to a year of age. You need to get a convertible carseat that can be backward facing until he turns a year old. Then you can make if forward facing (although it he doesn't mind, you should keep it rear facing for as long as possible because it is safer). I really like the Britax Marathon as a convertible seat.

The law in CA is 1 and 20 lbs, but it is really safest to leave your baby rear facing for as long as possible. We just recently turned our 2 year old around. She didn't mind at all even though her legs looked to be cramped she just sat more cross legged.

Hello. I am the mom of 3 boys and a car seat technician and instructor for Safe Kids Worldwide. You should NEVER turn your child forward facing until they are BOTH one year and at least 20 pounds. We always suggest waiting until they are more around 18 months if at all possible. Convertible car seats typically face backwards until around 30 pounds. If their feet touch the vehicle's seat, that is not an issue, it's fine! M. P.

it's one year AND at least 20 lbs... they gotta hit both milestones

Importance of rear-facing car seats for your child

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo

Car seats vs booster for your toddler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Watch these videos. keep rear-facing as long as possible!!!!

Blessings,
C.~

http://www.totalwellnessinfo.com

You really should talk to your pediatrician b/c there are several factors other than just age & weight. Ideally it's 1 yr & 20lbs. My son is 8 mos and already 20lbs, but for his safety I'm leaving him rear-facing. Here's a website to reference: http://www.inventiveparent.com/rearfacingcarseat.htm

hope that helps

I believe the child needs to be between 40-50 pounds in order to face forward. I hope this helps. Maybe you can check online under Graco or Evenflo.

I'm pretty sure the law in CA is 1 year AND 20 pounds. You can't turn your child's carseat around until they are 1 year-no exceptions. Then, if they are over 20 pounds after age 1, you can go ahead and turn it around. However, experts agree (from what I've read and what my pediatrician has told me) that rear-facing is the absolute safest position, especially prior to 33 pounds when their neck muscles aren't really strong enough to take the jolt of a potential impact from an accident.
I have an 18 month old and kept her rear-facing until she was about 16 months. My friends thought I was crazy (they all turned their kids around as soon as they turned 1), but she was fine in that position-she didn't know any different. She is 27 pounds now and the only reason I finally turned her around was because she's gotten really tall. I was afraid she'd break her legs in an accident because she was starting to get pretty cramped facing the back.
Hope this helps:)

NOt sure if different state laws vary, but the State of California requires that the child be at least 1 year and 20 pounds. They actually recommend waiting until the child is 18 months.