I have to say when I read the article today about the new AAP recommendations for keeping your child rear facing, I was thrilled.  My carseats hold a child up to 35 pounds rear facing and that is what they were designed for and it is safer for your child, why not do it?  In September 2010, I turned my 4 year old front facing for the first time ever because he was finally 35 pounds and had reached the maximum weight for rear facing in his Britax Marathon carseat.  My 27 pound 3 year old and 20 pound infant will remain rear facing until they are 35 pounds and have reached the maximum weight for rear facing in their car seats.  I hope these new requirements save more lives of our precious children.

"In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age."