A Mudgee mum is urging parents to use rear-facing child seats for as long as possible to prevent forward-facing crash injuries like the one that broke her daughter's neck.
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Angela Brown's 21-month-old daughter Summer-Rose was forward-facing when the family's SUV travelled down an embankment and collided with a tree at 100km/h on the Goolma Road in February.
Whiplash from the crash broke Summer's C3, C2 and all the ligaments in her C1 vertebrae.
Her nine-month-old sister Emelia-Maie, who was rear-facing, received no more than a bruise on her shoulder despite her side sustaining the most damage.
“Emelia's side of the car was actually more crushed so you would think if anyone was going to be injured it would have been her,” Angela said.
Since the accident Angela has heavily researched the forward versus rearward facing debate and took to Facebook to inform other parents.
“I was always unsure about when turning my babies around but after our crash and the hard evidence we are presented with I will forever rearward face my babies as long as I possibly can. Don't make the same mistake as I did. It could cost you your baby’s life,” she posted.
Her plea has gone viral and she has featured on current affairs program The Project and Channel Seven national news.
“When you have a baby they tell you what you should eat and shouldn't eat, you go to prenatal classes and that sort of stuff but not once do they talk about how to put your child in a car seat correctly or even how long they should be rearward facing or forward facing,” she said.
“I know there's a lot of circumstances where people can't keep their child rearward facing for medical conditions but I just want people to be educated on the decisions they make more than anything so that way they know they're making the best decision for their child and their family.”
In Australia children can legally be placed in a forward-facing child seat from six months.
“In some countries it's up to four years and others it's up to two but for some reason Australia is a bit behind and they don't seem to think there's much of a difference,” Angela said.
Campaign group Rear-Facing Down Under is petitioning the Federal Government to change the law and keep babies legally rear-facing until a minimum of 12 months of age.
“People should rearward face for as long as possible but obviously it's got to be in a seat that suits their age,” Angela said.
“And I think too that most people think if they buy a car seat it's right but I think you have to change as the child gets older.”
