Car Seat Safety – Best Practice Recommendations

A blog post by Dr. Amy Petersen (Pediatrician at Cornerstone Pediatrics and Family Allergy)

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children 4 years and older. We all want to protect our children when riding in the car, but the recommendations by the AAP for car seats can be confusing.

All children should ride in a rear facing car seat as long as possible until they reach the height or weight limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Most convertible car seats allow rear facing until 40 lbs. This provides optimal head and spine support. Once rear facing limits are outgrown, children should use a forward facing car seat with 5-point harness as long as possible. Most models allow until 65 lbs. If forward facing limits are outgrown, booster seats should be used to allow proper fitting of the lap and shoulder portion of the seat belt. Most children over 4 feet 9 inches will fit properly in a seat belt without a booster as long as the lap belt crosses the hips and pelvis, and shoulder belt crosses the middle of the chest and shoulder. All children <13 years old should ride in the back seat for optimal protection. Specific questions should always be directed to your pediatrician.