Consumer Reports issues new guideline on child car seats

Consumer Reports is urging parents to buy a convertible car seat sooner, rather than later, to protect young children from head injuries.

The new guidelines advise parents to make the switch from infant seat to rear-facing convertible car seat by the child’s first birthday. The switch may need to be made even sooner, depending upon the child’s height and weight.

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The testing done by Consumer Reports found that the rear-facing seats offered additional protection for the head, compared to the infant seats.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents keep children in rear-facing seats until age 2 and laws in several states require such seats. The new Consumer Reports recommendation does not change the need for two car seats, only suggests that parents consider switching to the rear-facing option sooner rather than later.