[SusanMae]

The current reccomendations are for children to remain RF until they reach the weight maximum for RF in their carseat. Rear Facing offers unmatched safety to young children. The longer the better. I know many parents who are sad when they are forced to turn their children forward facing. 12 months and 20 pounds are the minimums...but I'm sure all parents agree on this---our children are worth far more than the minimums.

The highest weight limit for RF is 35 pounds, the lowest 30.

Your 5th month old will likely slow down in growth as he becomes more mobile. Those first months have a lot of rapid growth.

It's a combination of development---skelatal included, weight, height---and poor RF choices here in the US that determine when to turn children FF. It's common in Sweden for children to remain RF to 4-5 yrs old, and their fatality rate for children in that age group is much lowers than our in car crashes.

Susan, CPST

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.