What you should know about backpack safety
There is one staple among students, regardless if they are starting first grade or 10th grade: the backpack.
But that little backpack, when loaded with the day's homework, textbooks and lunch, can be a source of more problems than parents know.
In 2013, more than 22,000 strains, sprains, dislocations and fractures from backpacks were reported, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Even adults who commute downtown with backpacks are not immune from backpack injuries.
Dr. Timothy Volk, M.D., who practices family medicine with the NCH Medical Group, tells you why keeping your kid's backpack at a reasonable weight is a healthy idea:
Q: How much should a child's backpack weigh?
A: “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that backpacks should not weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of a child's body weight. So, take the backpack challenge. If your child weighs 60 pounds, his or her backpack should weigh no more than 12 pounds.”
Q: Why is it important to lighten the load in a child's backpack?
A: “When too much weight is placed on the shoulders, the weight's force can pull a child backward. To compensate, the child may bend forward at the hips or arch the back, which can cause the spine to compress unnaturally. The heavy weight might cause some kids to develop shoulder, neck, and back pain.”
“Go through the pack with your child weekly, and remove unneeded items to keep it light.”
Q: What can parents do to make sure backpacks are a manageable weight?
A: Parents should make sure kids don't tote unnecessary items — laptops, cellphones, and video games can add extra pounds to a pack.
The American Occupational Therapists Association encourages kids to use their locker or desk frequently throughout the day instead of carrying the entire day's worth of books in the backpack. Kids should bring home only the books needed for homework or studying each night.
Q: Why is it important to wear both straps on the shoulders and a waist belt if available?
A: “Parents should choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Wearing both shoulder straps helps distribute the weight of the load across the back and among some of the body's strongest muscles. Wearing both straps also safeguards from placing too much stress on one side of the spine.
“By packing heavier items closest to the center of the back and using the waist strap, the bulk of the weight can be carried on the hip bones, rather than on the shoulders.”
Q: What are the risks of wearing overweight backpacks or wearing backpacks incorrectly?
A: “Improperly used or overweight backpacks may lead to strains and sprains of muscles, ligaments and joints. In addition to severe back, neck, and shoulder pain, children carrying overloaded backpacks can have compromised breathing, fatigue and posture problems.”
“It should be stressed that improper backpacks will not cause scoliosis.”