When is it safe to turn my baby to a forward facing position?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is safest to keep your baby rear facing up to the maximum, rear facing weight limit of your child safety seat.  There is an old standard still in place that all infants must be rear facing up to one year of age and twenty pounds.  Due to a large number of spinal injuries to forward facing infants, the academy increased the standard to at least 30 pounds rear facing.  Allowable weight limits vary with child safety seat manufacturers but all convertible seats are now made to be rear facing to 30 pounds as a minimum.