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When parents learn that an air bag can harm a baby in a rear-facing infant seat, many of them want to place the baby facing forward. Is this okay?

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When parents learn that an air bag can harm a baby in a rear-facing infant seat, many of them want to place the baby facing forward. Is this okay?

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No! Infants must always ride facing the rear in the back seat. Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warn that babies should ride facing the back until they are at least one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. A child under age one does not have strong neck muscles; the head would snap forward in a crash if the baby were facing forward. This could cause serious neck and spinal cord injury. When the child is facing the back, the force of the crash is spread across the whole body. The child seat harness must be snug, and the seat should be at a 45?degree angle to support the baby’s head and maintain an open airway. Some safety seats have an indicator on the side to show the correct angle. A child seat that installs in a position that is too upright can be angled properly by using a firmly rolled sheet or towel under the foot of the seat.

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