Kim Kardashian has been criticised on social media after sharing a cute picture of her son Saint West facing forward in the backseat of a car, only to be urged to place him in a rear-facing car seat instead. The image sparked concerns as Saint, who is just 20-months-old, is four months shy of the Californian law which requires children to sit in rear-facing car seats until they are at least two years old.
According to the regulations posted on the official California Highway Patrol website, an exception is made "if the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall". Kim has released a video confirming that her son does meet these requirements, and in fact weighs more than her eldest daughter North. The CHP states that if this is the case then "the child must be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat".
Fans were divided with their view on the image. Some defended the reality star on her Facebook post, with one writing: "Hey car seat police..... Go weigh the kid and see how tall he is, then you can have an opinion. Not your kid, not your problem." Another joked: "Didn't realise so many people had degrees in car seating position." Meanwhile, some fans appeared to be concerned as one replied: "Look, I'm not trying to judge or anything. All mums aren't perfect and we all make mistakes. But clearly he isn't facing the right way. From mummy to mummy please rear face him until two."
Paediatric emergency physician Dennis Durbin told parenting.com: "A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body."
Kim found herself at the centre of controversy earlier this year after she and husband Kanye West launched their children's clothing line The Kids Supply in May, and photographed their daughter North wearing what looked like a peach coloured slip dress with a cream corset over the top. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star hit back, revealing how the design was "just a design illusion".