Safe n sound Royale car seat- can it face forward for an infant?

[Ella]

So my SIL was just over. She often has big stories, that sometimes check out and sometimes don't. She insists that Safe n sound Royale convertible car seats along with the Meridians, can be used in a forward facing position from birth. She said its one of the only seats that can.

Whilst that would be great, I obviously don't want to do it if its not 100% legal and safe. So can anyone tell me if this is true? SIL was so insistent that she turned the seat around in the car, but I'm not going anywhere with it like that till I find out.

Thanks in advance.

[~MummaBear~]

im not an expert but i know that rearward facing is safest... and in some states you hav to have baby rearward facing until 6 months so i highly doubt what she is saying is correct!

ETA
Ok so i just googled it..
it is rearward facing from birth -12Kg
and when i think about it... why would it be a convertible care seat if you could just use it all the same way?? lol

[Amaunet]

I definitely don't think so!!! Its important for babies to be rear facing as long as possible!

[TeniBear]

Even if it can, I wouldn't. Rear-facing is safest until they outgrow the seats, and in the better car seats, that's at around two years old. I won't try to give details, because I'm not all that bright () but someone should be along shortly

[Ella]

Yeah I've just been looking online and everything I can find says rearward facing which is what I thought. Seems a bit far fetched to me. Anyone else?

[Ella]

Mummyof4- bahahaha fair point, wouldn't be called a convertible if it didn't convert...

[~Stoked~]

That's a load a bull dang!
The reason babies are to be in a rearward facing position is because they have very little muscle control in their necks which, in a forward facing position, would cause horrendous damage/death in a crash!
I have the meridian and even in the most reclined position it is still waaay too upright for a poor bub that can lift it's own head up yet!
WRONG, SIL!!

[AJC]

I had a S&S Royale and the booklet clearly states that it is to be used rear facing for infants from newborn up to a certain weight. Have you checked the booklet or S&S website?

[Ella]

Don't think I even need to check the booklet. She sometimes gets creative with reality...

[allycat06]

No way, we have a Meridian and MIL has a Royale in her car. They are rewards facing up to 12 kg.

[OceanPrincess]

Don't think I even need to check the booklet. She sometimes gets creative with reality...

Lol this is definitely one of those times!!

[suse]

Yeah, that's totally creative with reality. Infants must be rear-facing until 8kg / 6mths which is the minimum weight they can be turned forward facing; seats approved to Aust standards can be used for rear-facing up to only 12kg unfortunately. Australia has one of the worst safety standards in the western world. In Europe there are extended rear-facing seats that can support kids up to 4 or 5, which is much safer, but because they don't use the Australian tethering system they are not deemed to meet Australian standards and can't legally be used here (they actually exceed Aust standards but that's a whole other argument). Putting it frankly - adults don't have sufficient head control to prevent serious neck injuries in a crash, infants and small children have insufficiently developed cartilage/spine and their head makes up a much higher proportion of total body size, leaving them even more vulnerable. Ideally a child will remain rear facing as long as the seat can support it.

[human bean]

Maybe point her to the Qld Dept Main Roads and Transport website where it clearly states that infants aged 0 - 6 months "must be secured in an approved rearward facing baby capsule or infant restraint that is properly fastened and adjusted. And then babies and children aged between six months and four years of age must be secured in either an approved rearward facing child restraint or an approved forward facing child restraint with built-in harness that is properly fastened and ajdusted."

[helle]

Big fat NO!
can you imagine if you crashed? Your poor newborns head would snap off