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MISSOURI -- New recommendations recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics may seem a bit harsh.

They recommend that children remain in a rear-facing car seat until they max out the weight limit for the seat, or until they reach of age of two.

"We're getting spinal damage in children,” said Captain Joe Schilling of the Kirksville Fire Department. “The earlier you turn them around, their heads are still larger than their torso; they haven't developed that strong muscle group that holds you in line, and let's face it, riding rear-facing when you have a frontal crash is a better way to go. I mean, you've got the whole seat to ride down the crash."

They also recommend that children remain in a restraint until they fit the vehicle seat properly, meaning their legs should fold over the seat at the knee and the chest belt should lay properly. If you follow this recommendation, your child could remain in a booster seat until age 10, 11, or even 12, depending on their rate of development.

“We’ve got to get over this misconception or this theory that it's bad for a kid to be in a booster seat and that other kids make fun of them,” Captain Schilling said. “It's about being safe while you're in your vehicle.”

These are all just guidelines, not law. Captain Schilling said they plan to try to turn portions of the guidelines into law, but not to the extent of the recommendations made by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Currently, Missouri law states that children under the age of four, or under 40-pounds, must sit in a child safety seat. Children ages four – seven, or between 40 – 80 pounds and under the height of 4-feet, nine-inches, must sit in a booster seat. Also, children under the age of 16 must ride in the backseat. If these laws are violated, you could face a $50 fine. A $10 fine applies for violations of children over 80 pounds, or taller than four-feet, nine inches.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which the Kirksville Fire Department receives training from, also has recommendations. They say children, birth – 12 months, should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. They recommend your child should remain rear-facing as long as possible; until they outgrow the rear-facing seat. Children four – seven should wear a harness until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. And, children 8 – 12 should remain in a booster seat until they fit properly in the vehicle seat.

"We're showing that it's better,” Captain Schilling said. “We're not having as many injuries; we're not having lifelong injuries that cause them problems as they develop as teenagers or young adults.”