Babies Ride Backward to Save Their Necks

Why should babies ride backward? And why should they ride facing the back of the car for the entire first year of life? The American Academy of Pediatrics’ new guidelines recommend that babies should ride rear-facing until they are at least one year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds and that babies be kept in rear-facing seats until they reach the maximum weight allowed for the seat, as long as the top of the head is below the top of the seat back. These recommendations are to protect babies’ necks from spinal cord injuries.

A reclined, rearward-facing restraint cushions the baby’s back, head, and neck in a frontal impact. Recent research has led pediatricians to push for babies to ride rear-facing for a minimum of one year. This is because a baby’s neck muscles take time to develop. Under age one, these muscles often are not strong enough to protect the spinal cord adequately. Very serious injuries have been documented and linked to babies riding facing forward.

A common sight, however, is a young baby riding facing forward! Parents usually have no idea why the front-facing position is less safe for a baby. They need encouragement to keep their baby turned backwards. This is especially true when they are also being told that their baby should ride in the rear seat, even when the driver is the only adult in the vehicle. With passenger side air bags, the back seat for a rear-facing restraint is critically important.

Key points to remember:

1. Keep baby, up to age one, in a rear-facing restraint in the rear seat.
2. When a baby outgrows an infant-only restraint, he/she should be moved to a larger convertible seat that allows them to ride rear-facing in the rear seat until at least age one and 20 pounds.
3. Follow the weight guidelines on the child restraint you have. Realize, however, that if your baby is average or heavier than average, you may want to switch to a different restraint that can accommodate a rear-facing position.