Culture & Entertainment

Are you among the 75 percent...did you face your toddler's car seat forward before their 2nd birthday?

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Culture & Entertainment

Are you among the 75 percent...did you face your toddler's car seat forward before their 2nd birthday?

DSCF7912 Oops. It appears I endangered my children's lives without even knowing it. And I did it for a prolonged period of time. I brought my children home from the hospital in their infant car seats which I placed rear-facing in the back seat of the car. All three of my children grew quickly and reached 20 pounds around 8 months of age at which time I moved them into the toddler seat and faced them forward. I thought it was the right thing to do. They were in a FAA approved car seat and buckled in properly. I thought I had covered all my basis as a loving, caring mom to ensure their safety as passengers in my vehicle. But...if I was to do that today, I might very well be viewed as a negligent parent. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, guidelines changed in March 2011, saying that it is safer for children to remain in a rear-facing seat until age two. A recent study revealed that nearly three-quarters of parents have not adhered to the guidelines and turn their child's car seat around before the recommended 2 year mark. " Delaying the switch can make a big difference" says study co-author Dr. Michelle Macy, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. " In Sweden, it is culturally accepted that children up to age 4 are in rear-facing seats, and child traffic fatalities (in that country) are among the lowest in the world." When did you face your child's car seat forward? Was it before or after the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines change in March 2011?

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Are you among the 75 percent...did you face your toddler's car seat forward before their 2nd birthday?

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