PLEASE, stay rear-facing past 12mos/20lbs

***This is someone else's story. I have permission to copy it. If you want to see the pictures, you'll have to sign up with that site.***

PLEASE, for your children's sake, consider leaving them in REAR-FACING (RF) car seats as longs as you can. Although it is "suggested" by many people and organizations, that you can turn them forward facing at 1 yr / 20 lbs, and seats are made to accommodate that, it doesn't mean they will not be subjected to cervical spine injuries in an accident. Sure, it'll hold their body in place, as it did for my grandson. But their head is thrown violently forward!! Actually, if you do your homework, front facing children are "75% more likely to be injured" in a crash ( http://www.carseatsite.com/rf.htm ).

I am Grandpa, and here's my personal view. My 18 mo old grandson, Joel, was injured in a front impact car crash 4 weeks ago. He is a "beefy" boy, weighing in at 34lbs and about 39" tall. According to his mom, the doctor told her it was "okay" to put him in a front facing car seat, because he was a "big boy". So she did. And he was securely strapped in the rear seat. The car hit a tree, for reasons unknown, at city speed limit of approx 35 mph.

At the accident scene, the EMT crew took Joel out of the car while in the car seat and all, and transported him to the hospital. They had to "bag" him at the scene to restart his breathing. The true miracle is that the ambulance was driving by, and some people flagged it down. They didn't even get time to call 911. You can bet God had his hand in that!!! they were on the scene in about 60 seconds!!

Below are some photos of Joel, before and after. YOU decide whats best for your child.......not anyone else!!! He sustained dislocated top 2 vertebrae in his spine (C-1 & C-2). Some of the doctors put it in very simple terms...his skull, internally, became detached from his body... and was basically held on with his skin.

In the last few weeks, I've scoured the internet to find these facts:
* a young child's head is approx 25% of his/her bodyweight. If that were true of adults, my head (I'm 220lbs) would weigh 55lbs! as it is, an adults head is only about 6% of their body weight. So, kids are very top-heavy.
* Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland recommend rear facing until 4 yrs old
* look on You Tube at the crash test videos of front facing vs. rear facing. you'll be amazed.
YouTube - Crash Test - http://babyproducts.about.com/od/car...ear_facing.htm

* if a young child's spine is "stretched" a 1/4 of an inch, it could result in total paralysis or death.
* and this is amazing! There was an article published in Pediatrics (the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics) earlier this year that states: ""A recent analysis of the protection provided in rear-facing compared with forward-facing car safety seats has revealed that children under the age of 2 years are 75% less likely to die or sustain serious injury when they are in a rear-facing seat.2 This finding was true regardless of direction of the crash, even those crashes with side impact, which typically are the most severe."

"Parents may be helped to understand the importance of using the convertible car safety seat in the rear-facing position longer than 1 year if they are counseled that children are 5 times safer than when riding in a forward-facing seat into the second year of life."

After hearing about that, I contacted the AAP via email, and asked what their position is on this issue. Their response was "While this was published in the Academy's journal, it does not necessarily constitute AAP policy" and "Because riding rear-facing does provide significantly more protection to children's heads, necks, and spines, the Academy does recommend it for as long as possible, but the only minimum we have set is 12 months/20 pounds. This policy statement is under revision but is current at this time."

The policy statement is under revision.... at this time??

Do you're home work folks!!! Oh, and you'll also find out that in the USA, rear facing seats only go up to about 35lbs. In Europe, whose testing standards seem to exceed US standards (http://daddytypes.com/2007/01/05/con...e_car_seat.php ), the RF car seats can be purchased up to 55 lbs. AND, made by the same manufacturers as in the US.

So, the question is, why can't we get them?? And don;t worry about legroom. check out these larger RF seats: http://forum.nybaktmamma.com/showthread.php?t=524428
Sure, they can break a leg in a violent crash, but I think bones are easier to fix than a broken neck!!! Heck, it's better to mount a portable CD player in the back window shelf and let them watch it, then to risk their life! Think about it....their body is strapped down to a car seat that is strapped down, and the car comes to an abrupt stop!! where is their head going to go? FORWARD, and at a tremendous velocity!! The back of their neck/ spinal cord is vulnerable to injury.

But the BIG question is....... for you to decide. I know you want to see their darling faces. But you don't want to see them in a halo.

I know this is a very long blog, but if it saves one child...or one family, the agony of what we've endured these last 4 weeks, it is worth the read!! The pic's below are about six weeks apart. he was eating cake by himself....very cute.

And now, he is is headed for intense physical therapy. he does move his fingers and his legs, but he doesn't pick up his arms. The therapy people are very optimistic, given the movement in his extremities. Doctors believe it was some compression of the shoulder nerves from the car seat straps acroos his collar bone area. You had to see those big, wide bruise marks. Again...front facing will do it.!!

If you want to see photos of Joel, before and after, visit: http://forum.carseatdata.org/convertible-seats/1827-rear-facing-is-best-true-story.html

I welcome all comments, as I would like to see: the FF threshold raised to 24 months, and largers RF seats available in the US. Thank you

More car seat pictures

I wanted to see what the girls looked like in their boosters. I am seriously considering new ones. Maybe just the cheap fisher price ones because I could offset the cost easily by selling the turboboosters.



Eric in his new nautilus.


Benjamin in the Avenue, which is his current main seat.

Because I'm obsessed

I really haven't got anything to blog about. Here's some pictures.

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So, to know the full story... I had different harnessed seats in the car, but I came across a problem because I wanted Karen to be able to use the rear-facing seat when Benjamin is not in the car. The kids, however had to have the harness straps in different slots in the seat that was in there. (The Avenue) The two seats that they can use the same strap positions are the tribute and the scenera. I used to have the scenera as the rear-facing seat, but Karen begged for her pink seat back. I thought to call Dorel to see if I could buy a pink cover for the Avenue, but they are not yet selling replacement covers. So, I put the tribute rear-facing, but the avenue wouldn't fit forward facing. Then I tried the titan and that wouldn't fit. So, I brought over the dirty, not yet expired cargo and it fit- barely though, so I switched it to the outside and it fit great. So, I took it in and cleaned it up. That setup is 46 inches across! The cargo expires in December. Also, the tribute only goes to 30 pounds rear-facing and Karen is 28 pounds. I hope that in two months either Benjamin grows in his torso or I can buy a pink cover for the Avenue. Or Karen may just lose her pink seat again.

Here's Eric in the Titan.


The big news of the day is that the National Highway Safety something or other released the results of its booster study from 2007. It listed 13 booster seats as "not recommended" as well as several that were "best bets" and "good bets". All their testing amounted to was sitting a 6 year old sized dummy in the seat in a vehicle and determining whether the belt fit well, good, or bad. There was no crash testing, so they did not even consider side impact protection. Most of the "best bets" are backless boosters. The new Recaro Vivo, Britax Frontier, Graco Nautilus, and Sunshine Kids' Monterey were not yet out and therefore not tested. Our fisher price booster (the one in the picture) rated as a "best bet". I think it is because it has an infinite headrest/belt guide adjuster. That seat has been discontinued and costs only $30. I wonder if everyone will buy them now! Also, the Britax Parkway tested in that category and is also discontinued. I was considering getting one sometime.

Update

It has been a long time. I was hoping for pictures. We went out and traded Eric's Radian 80 car seat for a brand new Graco Nautilus. He loves it, but it is big. Emily and I took out the 3 seater bench and put the 2-seater back in. Now everyone is comfy.

On Saturday we went out to look at vehicles. First we tried out a 2004 Chevy Astro. I was sorely dissapointed in it. There are two positions with lap-only belts and no head rests. There are no tether anchors for those positions, so they could only be used for rear-facing car seats. Also it was a pain and a struggle to get the 3 car seats installed. There are only 2 sets of latch in outer positions and that was a painful struggle too.

Next, we tried out the Sienna. It didn't take long before we were in love. All size rear positions have locking shoulder belts, headrests, and tether anchors. Five positions have latch. The very back windows slide down. There are air vents in the way back. They also have cupholders in the back too. The trunk is depressed, so it can actually hold a lot more than it looks. Also, the added safety, great drive, and such were great too. So, we have to be patient, save out money, and then we will buy a Sienna. I'm really excited. I have never liked our Aerostar. It is a big old pain, but I am grateful for it because it allowed us to actually be able to save up money to buy a fancy Sienna.




My lovely five car seats. Eric's is next to Emily's pink one.

Practice Time!

Caitlyn provides the music.






Emily and Benjamin dance!

My wild boy

This morning during the Sunbeam Song, Benjamin was jumping around the room. He got up on a chair, jumped , and hit his head on a shelf. Later, during scripture reading he got on the recliner. In front of the recliner was a laundry hamper. I looked over and decided he wouldn't do it. A minute later I looked up from my reading and found him head down in the hamper. Then Aaron went over the gate into the kitchen for breakfast (He went to work late due to being up half the night.) and Benjamin climbed up the gate. He is amazing. He's also figured out how to stand on chairs to get to crackers. Yesterday when Emily practiced dance, he practiced dance too. He is very cute, but very wild and crazy. I hope he calms down soon.

I went out to the valley to pick up Caitlyn's found camera from Girl Scout camp. Then went over to Sears to see about getting a car seat for a kid in town who is 2 and has outgrown his carseat by weight. I got the lowest price car seat that harnesses to 50 pounds. Eric barely fit in it, so I'm hoping the boy can fit till he's 4 years old. Now my worry is how to get mom to accept the seat. Maybe I should offer it on freecycle.

I won!

I learned about a book called "Socrates and The Three Little Pigs" at a homeschool meeting. A lady said she bought it for $63 because it was the lowest price she could find. That intrigued me. I searched and found it for $40. (Search for Anno's Three Little Pigs" and leave out the Socrates part.) Even better, though. I found it on ebay. I won too! My winning bid was $8.50 with $4 shipping. Aaron thinks we should buy up the $40 ones and then sell for $100. I think I'll just tell the other homeschoolers about them. I can't wait to get this hard to find math book.