At birth, a child's head is large for its body and the bones are not fully hardened. In a 30 mile-per-hour crash into an immovable object, a 10-pound baby presses against the shell and padding of the seat with 300 pounds of force. Riding rear-facing provides more protection because the seat: Keeps your child from being ejected from the car Cradles the head, neck and spine Spreads crash forces over a young child's back, the strongest part of their body. If a child is placed forward-facing too soon, in a crash, the force of the baby's heavy head whipping forward can stretch the ligaments in the spinal column up to two inches, but the spinal cord can stretch only one-fourth of an inch. Severe head injury or paralysis may occur. As long as children do not exceed the height or weight limits of their rear-facing child restraint the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children ride rear-facing to at least 2 years of age or until the child outgrows the rear-facing weight and height of their rear-facing only infant seat.