car seats

Toddlers Should Stay Rear-facing Longer

Children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1, according to updated advice from a medical group and a federal agency. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued separate but consistent new recommendations Monday. Both organizations say older children who’ve outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits them. Booster seats help position adult seat belts properly on children’s smaller frames. Children usually can graduate from a booster seat when their height reaches 4 feet 9 inches. Children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat, the guidelines from both groups say. The advice may seem extreme to some parents, who may imagin...