Answers To Your Rear-Facing Car Seat Questions

We were bombarded with comments on our story about the new AAP car seat guidelines that say toddlers should stay rear-facing until age 2, or until they exceed the height or weight limit of their car seat for rear-facing use. Many parents argued about whether rear-facing is truly safer, or didn’t think it seemed like a realistic recommendation. Other just seemed confused about how to actually make it work. So we asked Alisa Baer, M.D., a New York City pediatrician known as The Car Seat Lady, to address parents’ most frequently asked questions, from worries over your child’s discomfort to how to fit a convertible seat into a small car. 

What if I have a small car that won’t fit my convertible seat rear-facing, or won’t fit two rear-facing seats?

Won’t my child’s legs be squished? I don’t want her to be uncomfortable.

What if I get hit from behind? Is my child safe rear-facing?

What should I do if my kid hates rear-facing and screams through every car trip?

How do I know the studies on rear-facing car seats won’t change tomorrow?

Do I really need to turn my forward-facing toddler back to rear-facing?

Read on to see all her answers, and check out her video that explains in detail why rear-facing is so much safer.

Plus: Are You Making One of These Car Seat Mistakes?