When to change to front facing car seat
According to a report by NHTSA about two thirds of vehicle crashes are frontal impacts and 20% are from the side. At the moment of a crash, passengers will be moved towards the impact point thereby stressing the neck and the spine. As such there will be three impacts" the internal organs hitting the front of the body, the body being restrained by the harness or seat belt, and the car hitting the object. When your baby is rear facing the impact of the organs on the body and the body on the seat belt tend to be more distributed on the car seat thus reducing the stress on the spine and neck.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics you should place the baby in the rear facing position until they are two. Given that there is very little data to compare the extent of injuries in children in rear facing versus front facing according to age group, it is advisable to place the child in the rear facing position until they are two. However, two years of age is the bare minimum you can have the child in the rear facing position for as long as you see fit. The general rule of thumb is that the older the child is the stronger their neck and spinal column. With most car seats allowing for installation in the rear facing position for up to 4 years, this site recommends that you rear face until the child attains the maximum height or weight of the convertible car seat. With more research in the field, there will be more data to backup research for keeping children in the rear facing position for longer.
Nevertheless, the little research done shows that rear facing is a scientific fact rather than an opinion or style.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics you should place the baby in the rear facing position until they are two. Given that there is very little data to compare the extent of injuries in children in rear facing versus front facing according to age group, it is advisable to place the child in the rear facing position until they are two. However, two years of age is the bare minimum you can have the child in the rear facing position for as long as you see fit. The general rule of thumb is that the older the child is the stronger their neck and spinal column. With most car seats allowing for installation in the rear facing position for up to 4 years, this site recommends that you rear face until the child attains the maximum height or weight of the convertible car seat. With more research in the field, there will be more data to backup research for keeping children in the rear facing position for longer.
Nevertheless, the little research done shows that rear facing is a scientific fact rather than an opinion or style.