Don't let back to school mean a backache for your child

Not many parents would guess that their children could be injured by a backpack. But they could be. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s most recent statistics, in 2005 about 10,000 children aged 19 and under were treated at hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, and clinics for backpack-related injuries. A large percentage of these injuries include shoulder, neck, and back strain from carrying a backpack.

Although backpacks are a necessary part of a child’s life, they are often so crammed with textbooks, papers, lunches, and drinks that you might think your child is going away for the weekend instead of a day at school. That’s why the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) warns parents to check their kids’ backpacks. Bags that are too heavy or are worn incorrectly could injure a child’s bones, muscles, and joints.

Signs your child’s backpack is too heavy

• Your child changes posture when wearing the backpack.
  
• Your child reports his or her backpack hurts or is uncomfortable.
  
• Your child struggles when putting on or taking off the backpack.
  
• Your child has red marks on his or her shoulders, or tingling or numbness in the arms or legs.

When helping your child select a backpack, keep the following tips from the AAOS in mind:

• Look for backpacks with different-sized compartments as well as padding and dense material to protect against sharp objects.
  
• Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Place the heaviest items closest to the center of the back.
  
• Do not overload the backpack. A heavy backpack forces your child to bend forward.
  
• Weigh the backpack. The maximum weight of a loaded backpack should not be more than 15 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight. For example, if your child weighs 80 pounds, his or her backpack should not weigh more than 12 to 16 pounds.
  
• Teach your child proper lifting techniques — bend at the knees and use the legs to lift the backpack, placing one shoulder strap on at a time.
  
• Teach your child back-strengthening exercises to build up the back muscles.
  
• Purchase backpacks with two padded, adjustable shoulder straps, and make sure your child uses both. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder or using a backpack with one shoulder strap that runs across the body does not evenly distribute the backpack’s weight.This can cause muscle strain.
• Suggest your child stop at his or her locker between classes instead of carrying everything around for the entire day.