New carseat recommendation

Some of you are probably thinking that I'm a little late finding this out, but there's nothing new about that. I just found out last week that the American Academy of Pediatrics released information in March advising parents to leave their children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. It also advised that most children should ride in a belt positioning booster until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The last update came in 2002 when parents were advised to leave their children rear facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also gave age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum.

Even though deaths in motor vehicle crashes in children under age 16 has decreased by 45% between 1997 and 2009, mother vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of death for children 4 and older. A study conducted in 2007 found that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing.

The new suggestion of the age 2 transition isn't a deadline, but a guideline to help parents know when the best time to transition is.

To read the full release from the AAP website, click here. You can also find a car seat guide here

.