Tip - 75 Percent of Parents Make This Car Seat Mistake

Photo by Corbis A surprising number of parents make a potentially fatal mistake when strapping their children into car seats, according to the results of a new study published in the journal Academic Pediatrics. 75 percent transition their kid to a forward-facing car seat much earlier than advised.  Here’s the car seat rule of thumb: Parents should use a rear-facing seat until a child is 2 years old or until he or she has outgrown the height and weight limits of their rear-facing seats. In 2011, 33 percent of parents of 1-to 4-year-old children who had been turned to face forward had done so at or before 12 months. “New parents are more likely to follow AAP guidelines than ones with older kids but on average, parents turn their children around anywhere between 13 and 15 months old, which is too early.” Although Macy didn’t study the reasons behind the data, previous research found that parents want to keep an eye on their kids while they drive, assume they’re too large or heavy to face the rear, or prefer the convenience of removing them when they’re facing forward.  STORY: Should You Feel Bonded to Your Baby Bump?