Heavy school bags traumatizing kids

At the start of the school year, you have a lot to do. Among other activities that sustain and promote your  family income and enrich your life, you have to cope with your child’s school schedule, and keep a close watch on his grades. As if that was not enough, you also have to contend with a rising concern about shoulder, neck and /or back trauma among school children, caused by heavy school bags.

The statistics are worrying: More than 3,300 children, aged 5-14 years, were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to backpacks in 1998; these numbers do not include students who went to family physicians or doctors of chiropractors. 

With academic loads and demands being what they are, the ubiquitous school bag is usually in excess of 10% of your child’s body weight - a risk factor in scoliosis (the side ways of curvature of the spine) among children. Watch out for other risk factors among your kids too - Carrying the bag over one shoulder, an incorrectly packed backpack, and an incorrectly fitted backpack.

Maybe you have more important things to worry about, but do take time out to observe and communicate with your children. Does your child complain of back pain? Does he walk bent over sideways to try to adjust for the heavy load of a backpack? Does he complain of numbness and tingling in his arms or hands?  If the answer is yes to any of these questions, don’t wait. Take your child for visit to your pediatrician for a diagnosis.

While the majority of scoliosis is idiopathic, meaning, its cause is unknown, heavy back packs are a known risk factor and need your attention.

What can you do to help your child prevent trauma due to a heavy back pack?

• a.       Weigh it and try to keep it at, or  under 10% of your child’s body weight.
• b.      Convince your children to wear the back pack the way it was designed. – High on the shoulders and close to the spine.
• c.       Help your child organize and clean their bags to limit the load.
• d.      Encourage your child to maintain their general fitness levels and an active lifestyle.
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• Simple Precautions, active observation and immediate attention can prevent a major calamity.