worried and confused about car seats!!

[mummaK92]

Hi everyone newbie here

My lo is 7 months and almost 9kg so will need to be out of car seat soon. I have been looking into car seats and heard a lot about forward facing being very unsafe. When I visited a website called rear facing it didn't seem to have much if any exact proof or statistics and as if it wanted to scare parents into agreeing with them so they would make complaints for change.

This has all worried me a great deal and I don't know whether there is full proof that rear facing is always safer in all accidents and necessary to buy as I can't find any rear facing in that age range.

Thanks everyone!

I think 9kg is the minimum weight to move up, not a maximum - so your baby should be ok in the infant seat a while longer. Rear facing is safer so keep him in your current seat as long as you can.

They don't have to go into a toddler seat at 9kg. That's the minimum. Most modern car seats go up to 13kg, so you have ages to spend worrying yet! Best to keep her in the baby seat rear facing till she hits whatever the limit for your seat is.
It should say in the instructions on the side or on an orange sticker on the back.
Unless her head is at the top of the seat, you should be fine for months yet.

Your baby is safe in their infant seat until their crown is level with the top of the seat. My DS is almost 18 months and is still in his infant seat as he still fits the safety criteria for it. Keep having him checked and being told to save our pennies for a while longer

Technically, rear facing is safer for all of us. In a car stopping suddenly, it's always going to.be better to have the seat stopping you rather than a harness or belt. It's just not overly practical! Try and find some neutral research and as pp has said, check the actual limit on your seat.

it really is unsafe to turn them forward facing before 1yo.

The UK is one of the only countries who allows babies to be turned before 1yo, longer is better. I managed to keep both of mine rear facing until 15mo.

You should easily be able to find seats that rear face up to 13kg. (which is the 0+ class, which allows RF up to 29lbs)

The issue is, that when they develop, the neck muscles are not strong enough to take the force of a collision when forward facing, and it can, at its most serious, cause internal decapitation.

Keeping them RF, means that during a crash, the force of motion is absorbed by the whole of the seat, rather than throwing the head/arms forward.

there is plenty of research out there, its not mumbo jumob. please, please, please, DO NOT forward face your child until they're at LEAST 1yo.

Thank you so much everyone!!

Our seat does say from Birth to 9kg max. So definitely need a new one and his head is at the top already. I'm going to do a bit more research to find a rear facing seat for as long as possible. Thank you all for the help and warm welcome to the site :)

This may seem like a silly question but this is my first so I'm new to car seats I've found a few seats that all say""This combination car seat can be used from birth to 18kg. Fitted rearward facing from birth until 9kg, "" would I be able to buy one of these seats but leave it rear facing?? Thanks

Take a look at the Britax 2 way:

incarsafetycentre.co.uk/product/2-way-elie-c-w-chest-clp-and-head-support-black-thunder/

They go from 9 to 25kg rear facing. My (big) four year old is very happy in hers (I have a rear view mirror so we can see each other) and will be in it for at least another year.

I think Joie stages is the one that gets good reviews. We have a britax one that we used rear facing till he was about 16 months then swapped to forward.

Thank you all. Sorry I'm new to mumsnet so do not know how to thank you all individually. I have now found a few seats that will keep him rear facing for at least 12-15 months so I'm worrying a lot less (as much as a mum can stop worrying) you've all been very helpful to ease my mind

There are a lot of seats that will keep lo rear facing for many years. As others have said rear facing is much safer for all occupants of the car but obviously only practical for children in car seats. There are many seats that will allow little one to rear face until 25kg if you wish.

I found securatot really helpful when I was purchasing a car seat. They helped me find a seat that was suitable for my requirements (wanted from birth to rear face until 18kg and type of car I have). I have the klippan kiss that's birth- 18kg and lo really comfy in it. I know people say in car safety centre are helpful too.

Think you could look at Britax maxway and two way elite which can be used until 25kg and are not too expensive (approx £215).

There is info online about rear facing and in particular Swedish plus test which measures neck loads in a crash (not taken in to account in UK testing).