RE: When do I turn around the car seat?

February 17, 2004

I understand you turn it around at 12 months/or 20 pounds. About his neck control. They sell carseats which recline. They also sell padding for around the head. With the extra padding and it reclined he should be pretty comfortable. We love Gracies carseat, I believe it is Evenflow. The seat can recline pretty far back, for naps or whatever. All of the adjustments are in the front so you can do them with one hand and the child in the seat. The best part is that you can adjust the straps from the front also. They have these wheel things so you can tighten or loosen them. This has been a huge help with Grace, we can keep one side a little looser to keep her g tube more open. My only problem with a carseat like this is price. The one I have averages from $160-$200. I know it is expensive, but if you really think about it, this is your child's comfort and safety. Best of luck, and enjoy your little guy when he gets home.

February 18, 2004

The reason it is recommended to wait until 20 pounds and 12 months is that

most typical children have the neck and torso support to hold the head in

the event of an accident.

Think of it like a very large bowling ball on a flower stem. In a car

accident, the child's head is thrown forward at 60 miles per hour, then

returns at the same speed. If the neck isn't strong enough to support this

action, the childs neck with break. (Sorry about the graphics. That is how

it was explained to me. I was horrified.)

We only turned my little guy around to forward facing a couple of months

ago. He will be 3 yo next month.

Our car seat is an Alpha Omega by Cosco. A child can remain rear facing

until they are 35 pounds and I can't remember the length but our little guy

was quite comfortable. Plenty of leg room.

If you don't feel your son has the neck and torso strength to turn around

when he out grows standard car seats like Alpha Omega, you would then need

to talk to your insurance company about purchasing a special needs car seat

that has special accommodations for children that cannot fit standard seats

and car seats... But that is down the road a bit.

Bec

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Message: 23

Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 22:19:40 -0000

Subject: When do I turn around the car seat?

My 17 month old son (Diagnosed with Leigh's disease)is finally

nearing the 20 pound mark. He has had his (toddler size, convertible)

car seat rear facing until now and does not really have any leg room

left. He's about to come back home from a lenghty hospital stay. I am

concerned that he should not be forward facing because he has so

little neck strength. Has anyone else encountered this problem? I'm

working with physio/occupational therapy to devise some kind of seat

belt for his head, but I'm not sure it'll really do the trick.

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Message: 24

Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 07:01:58 -0000

Subject: New to the group and the diagnosis

Hello, I have been reading everything that has been posted but have

yet to post. I have two sons that have been diagnosised with

probable Mito by muscle byopsy but don't have a specific type. We

have been through four years of heck, but it sounds like everyone

goes through this. We live in the Kansas City area and have only one

doctor who really gives us any info about the Mito and really it is

all overwhelming to us. I have so many questions I don't even know

where to start to I will introduce my sons.

Gavin age four- Mito, PDD, Asthma, history of epilepsy which started

at 4 months and ended about 8 months ago and is nolonger on meds,

dosn't sweat, low tone, temerature intolerance, small head(can't

remember the long term) that is getting worse, developmental delays,

processing and motorplanning problems, and he has weird fatigue and

overall weakness with illness, weather changes, allergies, normal

play, and emotional stress. Gavin looks pretty normal and seems like

a healthy kid so we gat a lot of questions about his need for a

wheelchair or why we put limitations on his playtime. He does seem

to be responding a little to CoQ10.

Gage age 2(turning 3 this month)-Mito, EG(eosinaphilic

gastroenteritis) EE&EC, Lung disease with episodes of oxygen hunger,

was a floppy baby(didn't hold his head up till he was 5 months old,

Autism (doing great with speech but still has big isusses with

behaviors and social), Swallowing problems, Excessive sweating,

temperture intolerances, slightly abnormal ERG, abnormal EEG, 2

seizures, abnormal immune system(still going through testing), slight

kidney reflux, low tone, G-tube, milk-soy-seasonal-food coloring-corn-

and who knows allergies. Gage has had over 26 hospital stays for

feeding intolerance, asthma, common viruses or infection, FTT, and

reasons that never got figured out, he also seems just fine to most

he walks, talks, runs, but gets very sick and takes months to get

over th common cold. Taking COQ10 and not seeing any results, but he

has been sick for 3 months straight.

So I guess I am looking for a good Mito doctor who can lead us in the

right direction, answer questions, and not make me feel insane. We

are tired of doctors and hospitals even after we got the diagnosis

doctors still don't believe that is the answer they feel the kids are

doing too well and that they would not make any improvements and that

we would more then likely have seen regression. We are just so

tired!! Thank you for taking the time to read this it sounds like

everyone has their hands full! Crystal mommy to Gavin and Gage.