What is the recommended seating position for infants to maximize safety?

• A. Infants should ride rear-facing until the heaviest rear-facing limit.
• B. Infants should ride forward-facing with a harness from birth.
• C. Infants should ride in the front passenger seat with airbag on.
• D. Infants may ride rear-facing only until they can sit up unaided.

Answer: (A)

Keeping infants rear-facing as long as the car seat allows is the safest approach because a rear-facing seat cradles the head, neck, and spine and distributes crash forces along the back rather than concentrating them on the neck. This setup provides the most protection for a baby’s delicate bones and developing organs.

Continue rear-facing until you reach the seat’s maximum rear-facing weight or height limit, then transition to forward-facing with a properly fitted harness. Do not place an infant in the front passenger seat with the airbag active, and do not switch to forward-facing from birth. Also, don’t stop rear-facing simply because the child can sit up; the switch should be based on the seat’s limits, not the child’s ability to sit unaided.