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The Rear Facing Car Seat and the New Recommendations of the American Academy of PediatricsThe rear facing car seat has always been acknowledged as the safest seat for youngsters but now there has been a change recommended. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated for years that children should be in a seat facing the rear until the age of 1 year. Now they’ve changed it to 2 years. I’ve been reading responses from parents saying that they don’t see how that’s possible. Their infant seat faces the rear but is small and their 20 pound child is already growing out of the seat.
Parents whose youngsters have grown out of the infant seat were planning on finding a forward facing seat to use for their little one for the next few years. So what’s the answer to the Pediatric Academy report? The best convertible car seats could hold the answer. Convertible seats are rear facing car seats as well as forward facing. So why does this make a difference? The difference is that the best convertible car seats such as the Britax Boulevard car seat will allow a child to face the rear longer. The Britax Boulevard for instance is designed for children 5-40 pounds to face the rear. This is probably at least a year longer than most infant car seats will accomodate. The typical infant seat that faces the rear is designed for youngsters from 5-20 pounds. The Britax Boulevard is Designed for Children from 5-70 Pounds The Britax company states that the Boulevard is a seat that allows a 5 pound baby through 40 pounds to use the seat. They also state that the seat can be used front facing from 20-70 pounds. So why the contradiction? I think it’s because many parents can’t wait to turn their children front facing as soon as possible and the Britax Boulevard car seat will allow that. But Britax is also aware that parents should keep their youngster facing the rear for as long as possible for safety reasons. So they are meeting the needs of impatient parents and also building a seat that gives the ultimate in safety. 
The fact is that the rear facing car seat is much safer for children in an accident. Small children have weak necks and snapping forward and back in a crash can result in serious neck and spinal injuries. These serious injuries are less likely with the seats that face the rear. The best convertible seats are larger and will keep children in the rear position that is recommended for the longest possible time. Highest Reviews The Britax Boulevard car seat is a top notch seat and I’ve done a full and detailed review here. It’s a seat that is always highly rated by consumer groups, users and anyone researching safety, comfort and practicality of a good seat. The practical aspects of this seat are that it’s probably the only seat you might ever need because of the 5-70 pound range it is designed for. Read my review and then look at the great owner reviews on Amazon before making your car seat buying decision. |
