We will be going camping in about a month. We will be taking are motor home which is 30ft, if that makes a difference. Will I be able to let my daughter be forward facing in the motor home? She will be turning 7 months old the week we leave. I know she has to be rear facing in cars but is the law any different for a motor home? I know they still have to be in there carseats but does she still have to be rear facing? Also she is in her convertable carseat.
Even if the law didn't cover motor homes (which it may not in certain places just as it doesn't cover buses, and I know in many places you are allowed to have passengers unrestrained in the home part) you know that your child is far safer rear-facing, so why would you want her to be forward facing?
Also as a side note if you turn her forward facing then she probably won't sleep in her seat, then you have a cranky awake baby -which is what happened to me when I had to turn my son at 2.5 years!
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4209/Car_Seat_Safety:_Rear-facing_is_safest.htm
** The rear-facing child has the frontal crash forces spread over their back, head and neck (a large portion of the body) in an accident. The rear-facing child is also supported by the back of the car seat meaning there is little stretching of the neck.
** The forward-facing child's torso is restrained by their harness straps. The head of the child however is restrained by nothing and thrusts violently forward, which places them at risk of serious spinal cord injury or even worse, death.
Rear-facing child restraints also offer significant safety advantages in side and frontal offset impacts. When rear-facing in a side-on or frontal offset impact, the head of the child is better kept within the confines of the seat and can reap the benefits of the restraints side wings for protection.
The anatomy of a young child is very different to that of a developed adult. This puts them more at risk for certain serious injuries. The head on a child is relatively large and very heavy in relation to the body. The head constitutes approximately twenty five per cent of the child's weight. For a developed adult, the head constitutes approximately six percent of their weight.
When the heavy head of the forward-facing child is thrust forward in an accident, this puts an enormous amount of stress on the child's neck, which is trying to hold back the head. The heavy weight of the child's head can stretch the spinal cord. "According to documented research, autopsy specimens of infant spines and ligaments allow for spinal column elongation of up to two inches, but the spinal cord ruptures if stretched more than 1/4 inch. Real-world experience has shown that a young child's skull can be literally ripped from her spine by the force of a crash." (source: CPSTE ). If the spinal cord stretches too far in an accident this can cause it to tear, thus resulting in paralysis or death of the child. This is often described as "internal decapitation".
Even babies who ‘appear’ to have strong neck muscles and good head control are susceptible to these risks.
Rear-facing car seats may not work as effectively in a rear impact but frontal, frontal offset and side impacts are not only more common, but account for the most percentage of fatalities. As discussed above, rear impacts account for a very small percentage of fatalities in accidents in comparison to frontal, frontal offset and side impacts.
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Young children have immature cervical vertebrae that are not strong enough to protect the spinal cord adequately in an accident when forward-facing in a frontal crash. The vertebrae are still in pieces joined by cartilage. These pieces are soft and have not yet ossified into a complete circle of bone which will enclose and protect the spinal cord.
Because the vertebrae are still in pieces (joined only by cartilage), a child that is forward-facing faces a heightened risk of damage to the spinal cord when their head and neck pull forward and back in a frontal crash.
Small children also have poorly developed, fragile, flexible neck muscles, loose ligaments to allow for growth, small rib cages, undeveloped abdominal muscles, soft spinal columns and unprotected relatively larger abdominal organs.
The vertebrae do not completely ossify until ages 3-6 years old. This is why rear-facing for as long as possible is safest, because it gives more support and protection to the incomplete vertebrae and therefore the spinal cord.
Children with chromosome disorders such as Dwarfism may be at greater risk of paralysis or death compared to those that do not have these disorders.
The Kyle David Miller Foundation recommends that once your child outgrows an infant seat, to purchase a convertible car seat which rear-faces to a high weight limit – this is usually between 30 and 35 lbs.
Children in Sweden ride rear facing until they are three to five years old or as much as 25kg (55lbs), lowering traffic death and injury rates in Sweden considerably. It is uncommon to turn a child to forward-facing before these ages. "From 1992 through June 1997, only 9 children properly restrained rear-facing died in motor vehicle crashes in Sweden, and all of these involved catastrophic crashes with severe intrusion and few other survivors." (source: CPSAFETY).
In "Child Safety Seats: Rear-Face Until at Least One Year" Ka
Car, truck, bus, airplane, boat, taxi, or motorhome….your child should be kept rearfacing until she is one year and 22 lbs.
Better safe than sorry.
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NO, no matter how you are traveling it's very important the the baby up to one year be facing the rear. This is what's best for your child.
References :
Even if the law didn't cover motor homes (which it may not in certain places just as it doesn't cover buses, and I know in many places you are allowed to have passengers unrestrained in the home part) you know that your child is far safer rear-facing, so why would you want her to be forward facing?
Also as a side note if you turn her forward facing then she probably won't sleep in her seat, then you have a cranky awake baby -which is what happened to me when I had to turn my son at 2.5 years!
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4209/Car_Seat_Safety:_Rear-facing_is_safest.htm
** The rear-facing child has the frontal crash forces spread over their back, head and neck (a large portion of the body) in an accident. The rear-facing child is also supported by the back of the car seat meaning there is little stretching of the neck.
** The forward-facing child's torso is restrained by their harness straps. The head of the child however is restrained by nothing and thrusts violently forward, which places them at risk of serious spinal cord injury or even worse, death.
Rear-facing child restraints also offer significant safety advantages in side and frontal offset impacts. When rear-facing in a side-on or frontal offset impact, the head of the child is better kept within the confines of the seat and can reap the benefits of the restraints side wings for protection.
The anatomy of a young child is very different to that of a developed adult. This puts them more at risk for certain serious injuries. The head on a child is relatively large and very heavy in relation to the body. The head constitutes approximately twenty five per cent of the child's weight. For a developed adult, the head constitutes approximately six percent of their weight.
When the heavy head of the forward-facing child is thrust forward in an accident, this puts an enormous amount of stress on the child's neck, which is trying to hold back the head. The heavy weight of the child's head can stretch the spinal cord. "According to documented research, autopsy specimens of infant spines and ligaments allow for spinal column elongation of up to two inches, but the spinal cord ruptures if stretched more than 1/4 inch. Real-world experience has shown that a young child's skull can be literally ripped from her spine by the force of a crash." (source: CPSTE ). If the spinal cord stretches too far in an accident this can cause it to tear, thus resulting in paralysis or death of the child. This is often described as "internal decapitation".
Even babies who ‘appear’ to have strong neck muscles and good head control are susceptible to these risks.
Rear-facing car seats may not work as effectively in a rear impact but frontal, frontal offset and side impacts are not only more common, but account for the most percentage of fatalities. As discussed above, rear impacts account for a very small percentage of fatalities in accidents in comparison to frontal, frontal offset and side impacts.
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Young children have immature cervical vertebrae that are not strong enough to protect the spinal cord adequately in an accident when forward-facing in a frontal crash. The vertebrae are still in pieces joined by cartilage. These pieces are soft and have not yet ossified into a complete circle of bone which will enclose and protect the spinal cord.
Because the vertebrae are still in pieces (joined only by cartilage), a child that is forward-facing faces a heightened risk of damage to the spinal cord when their head and neck pull forward and back in a frontal crash.
Small children also have poorly developed, fragile, flexible neck muscles, loose ligaments to allow for growth, small rib cages, undeveloped abdominal muscles, soft spinal columns and unprotected relatively larger abdominal organs.
The vertebrae do not completely ossify until ages 3-6 years old. This is why rear-facing for as long as possible is safest, because it gives more support and protection to the incomplete vertebrae and therefore the spinal cord.
Children with chromosome disorders such as Dwarfism may be at greater risk of paralysis or death compared to those that do not have these disorders.
The Kyle David Miller Foundation recommends that once your child outgrows an infant seat, to purchase a convertible car seat which rear-faces to a high weight limit – this is usually between 30 and 35 lbs.
Children in Sweden ride rear facing until they are three to five years old or as much as 25kg (55lbs), lowering traffic death and injury rates in Sweden considerably. It is uncommon to turn a child to forward-facing before these ages. "From 1992 through June 1997, only 9 children properly restrained rear-facing died in motor vehicle crashes in Sweden, and all of these involved catastrophic crashes with severe intrusion and few other survivors." (source: CPSAFETY).
In "Child Safety Seats: Rear-Face Until at Least One Year" Ka
References :
No rear facing for now for sure. Just picture this: should you have to slam on your breaks do you trust her neck not to break or be hurt if there was any kind of impact? When she's rear facing and the breaks are slammed or even just stopping she should just stick to her car seat. Rear facing mom!
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