Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for children 4 years of age and older. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides 5 evidence-based recommendations for best practices in the choice of a child restraint system to optimize safety in passenger vehicles for children from birth through adolescence:

(1) rear-facing car safety seats as long as possible;

(2) forward-facing car safety seats from the time they outgrow rear-facing seats for most children through at least 4 years of age;

(3) belt-positioning booster seats from the time they outgrow forward-facing seats for most children through at least 8 years of age;

(4) lap and shoulder seat belts for all who have outgrown booster seats; 

(5) all children younger than 13 years to ride in the rear seats of vehicles. It is important to note that every transition is associated with some decrease in protection; therefore, a delay in transition for as long as possible is encouraged for all stages. The American Academy of Pediatrics urges all pediatricians to know and promote these recommendations as part of child passenger safety anticipatory guidance at every health supervision visit.

Disclaimer Statement

The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.  Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses