ERF-extended rear facing

So, today as I was packing my children into our vehicle a friend asked why are they still rear facing? I responded with my typical response...I am an advocate of extended rear facing. My husband was skeptical and actually told me I was crazy when I first popped the idea on him and after watching the videos and hearining my arguments he too, agrees, that erf is the way to go as far as car seat safety is concerned. Most people don't know what this is (actually my parenting soul sister Nikki got me hooked on making my parenting stances known). Well, here is the chance to hear me carry on about another one of my mommy beliefs. It is now recommended by the AAP (american association of pediatrics) now recommends that children...ALL children be rear facing until the minimum age of two. Why you ask? the law says my child has to be one year of age and 20 pounds and then I can face them forward. Well, yes...you CAN but why would you? This is a minimum requirement. Not a definite.
Take a second to think of these facts: 6 million car accidents a year in the US. Every 12 minutues someone involved in an automobile accident dies. 2,000 of those deaths are children. Almost makes you want to encase yourself in a bubble and never get into a car again.
So, those facts at hand it is important to stress that car seats save lives...no doubt and that safer car seat practices are needed. Now that the AAP has made their statement known we have to wait for the state to change the law and car seat manufacturers to change their requirements sticker. I am not one to butt my nose into other peoples parenting but these facts and videos changed my entire view on car seat safety.
A child, though they may have adequate muscle control do not have a bone structure that allows for whiplash type injuries. The bones that are protecting the delicate spinal cord are soft, pliable and do not have the ossification that adult bones do because of this during a whiplash type injury a spinal stretching of 2 inches can occur. The spinal cord can only withstand 1/4 inch of stretching before snapping occurs. That is a difference of 1 3/4 inch. This type of injury is called "internal decapitation", the name alone is enough to scare the hell out of you. What is literally happening is a childs spinal cords is snapping from the intensity of an impact though the bone structure is remaining in tact. There have been a number of crash tests performed that have shown RF (rear facing) crash test dummies undergo significantly less impact than there FF (forward facing) counterparts. The car seat acts as a cradle during impact causing a child and car seat to move as one unit rather than a forward facing child who's head is thrown forward during impact. This can truly be the difference between a life or death injury for a young child.


This video demonstrates what happens to a young child during a forward facing impact





This video demonstrates a rear facing child during impact.



The difference in body distortion, whiplash type injury and overall impact are noticeable.
There are arguments that claim that children in RF car seats are more likely to suffer broken legs during an accident if their feet touch the seat in front of them. This may be true. However, broken legs can be fixed. Broken necks cannot.

Your child may be going crazy to face forward and see the world. To be "big" like their older siblings and face forward but I am urging all parents to keep their children rear face to the minimum age of two. I have two very tall 18 month old boys who legs touched the seat in front of them months ago but they aren't going forward facing yet or anytime in the near future.

So, my word has been said...I have spread my word of knowledge and I am done for the day.