WOW!

This is why I keep Hannah rear-facing! This is a link to a great blog written by a grandfather:
http://forum.carseatdata.org/convertible-seats/1827-rear-facing-is-best-true-story.html

His grandson was recently involved in a collision and suffered severe injuries that could have been avoided if he were rear-facing. His blog really breaks it all down and gives great information and links. He asked us all on car-seat.org to spread his story and the rear-facing message. I felt strongly that I should. I downloaded his before and after pics so that readers of my blog can see without having to register at the other site.

This is Joel before his accident:

This is Joel after:
He can wiggle his fingers and toes, but cannot raise his arms. He is undergoing severe physical therapy for head, brain, and spinal injuries.

Some great points from the blog and links:

Car accidents are the #1 KILLER of all children. Greater than all childhood accidents combined.

Children under the age of 2 years are 75% less likely to die or sustain serious injury when they are in a rear-facing seat. This finding was true regardless of direction of the crash, even those crashes with side impact, which typically are the most severe.
Why? Because a child's head is 25% of their body weight. When their heads fly forward in an accident, there spinal cord can only stretch 1/4 of an inch while there vertebrae can stretch much further. This leads to internal decapitation.

There has never been a reported case of a broken leg caused by rear-facing. Even if there were, a cast is better than a HALO (like the one Joel is wearing).



I just read this blog tonight while surfing through my car-seat forums (yes, I read car seat forums). It was too touching not to share. This is a cause that is close to my heart and one that I wish got more attention from Doctors, Paramedics, and lawmakers. In countries where children rear-face the longest amount of time, the death rate from auto accidents are the lowest. In our country, where our children rear-face the shortest amount of time, the death rate from auto accidents are the highest.

We have to change our attitudes about our children when it comes to the most dangerous activity we participate in on a daily basis. We also have to stop being worried about how fast our children will "grow up" and move on to the next step. It permeates every aspect of our lives, but the car is one place that it does not belong. Every step "up" in car seat is a step down in safety.
Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing.
Harness is safer than booster.
High back booster is safer than no back booster.
No back booster is safer than seat belt until a child passes the 5 Step Test.
These are milestones that we should not be in a hurry for our children to reach and we certainly shouldn't rush into the next step before our children are ready. The results can be deadly.

Here is my disclamer: I am aware that there are parents who make the choice to forward-face their children after knowing the facts, and that is their parental decision to make. I'm sure I make many parental decisions others would disagree with. However, most parents (in the general US population) are not aware of the facts and blindly trust that lawmakers and Doctors know best, when in fact, it is just too inconvenient to change these archaic laws. This is what I am hoping to change. More awareness is always a good thing!