Keep your kids safe with the current recommendations for car safety seats.Your job as a parent is to keep your child safe. Car seats are vital for your little ones. Fight colds and flu with Hydralyte. Rapid and complete hydration, suitable for all ages and doctor recommended. Use code “hydrakid” to save 30% - sponsor Babies You can’t leave the hospital without a rear-facing car seat. To keep things simple, consider a seat with a carrier with a base that stays in the car. There are also convertible seats that can face the rear and be turned around when the baby is older. Installing child safety seats can be tough. Work with a certified child passenger safety technician in your community before delivery to make seat utilization safe and easy. Be sure straps are snug. Bigger Kids Forward-facing seats have a five-point safety harness. This mimics race car seat belts. Most forward-facing seats are designed for children who weigh 40 to 65 pounds. Booster seats use the seat belts installed in your car, but they consider the child’s smaller frame. Seat belts fit appropriately across the shoulder and hips with the booster seat. Most kids don’t fit in regular seat belts until they are eight to twelve years old. Keep your child in the backseat until age thirteen or older. Front-end crashes and airbag deployment can still injure a child. Used Car Seats Car seats have an expiration date that is six years from the date of manufacture. Made with materials that degrade over time, car seats become unsafe at that expiration date. You should know the history of any car seat. If it’s been in a crash, the seat’s integrity may be compromised. Milestones in your child’s life are typically positive advancements. However, progression to the next car safety seat means a reduction in protection as your child grows. Try to keep your child in the more protective seat as long as possible. Follow the car seat manufacturer’s guidelines for child weight and length for that seat. Listen as Dr. Benjamin Hoffman joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share details on keeping your child safe in a car seat, along with updated AAP policies on car seats. Sponsor: Fight colds and flu with Hydralyte. Rapid and complete hydration, suitable for all ages and doctor recommended. Use code “hydrakid” to save 30%