Guidelines regarding child safety seats:
* Infants should be in a rear facing infant only seat or convertible seat until they are 1 year old and twenty pounds. Children who reach twenty pounds before their first birthday still need to face backwards and can be moved into a rear facing convertible seat.
* After they are twenty pounds and have passed their first birthday, toddlers can use a forward facing car seat until they are about 40 pounds or their ears have reached the top of the car seat.
* Children over forty pounds should be placed into a belt positioning booster seat.
* You should not use your car’s regular seat belts until they fit correctly when your child is about 80 pounds and is 4ft 9 inches tall.
* Your child will not be ready to use regular seat belts until the shoulder strap fits across his shoulder and not his neck, and the lap belt fits across his hips and not his stomach.
* Be sure to read the car seat manufacture’s instructions and your car owner’s manual to be sure that you are installing and using the car seat correctly.
Remember: All children under 12 years of age should be placed in the back seat of the car, especially if you have passenger side air bags, as air bag deployment could cause serious brain and neck injury and death. (c”v)
(Adapted from keepkidshealthy.com)