Patricia Crocker

Back Pack Safety Awareness

September is the time of the year when most children start school and there’s a flurry of back to school sales.  Parents rush around to their favorite stores to buy school supplies.  One supply that children love to purchase is a backpack. It allows them to show their personality and interests.  As a Pediatric Occupational Therapist working in the schools, I enjoy seeing the variety of backpacks hanging from the hooks in the hallways.  There are definitely trends in the types of backpacks and the majority of them are often related to action heroes or to characters featured in the summer blockbuster movies.  Yet, some children opt out of the popular backpacks for the more unusual styles.   Some of my favorites that I have seen this year include a turtle shell, dinosaur, a fold-down basketball hoop with a basketball, and a dragon knight shield.

Although Back Packs can be fun and useful, there can be some risks associated with them if they are not the correct size or fit, or if students have too much weight in them. Working in the schools, I see many children with poor fitting, over-sized, or heavy backpacks.  According to The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), “More than 79 million children and young adults in the U.S. carry heavy loads back and forth to school every day. Experts estimate that about 55 percent of them will be carrying too much weight. Research also shows children carrying overloaded and improperly worn packs are likely to experience neck, shoulder, and back pain; adverse effects on posture and the developing spine; and compromised breathing and fatigue. Some of these injuries continue into adulthood.”  The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission reported that in 2007, “more than 23,000 emergency room visits resulted from injuries related to backpacks and book bags.”

To bring attention to these risks, on September 26, 2018 we celebrate backpack safety awareness day.  The School Backpack Awareness Day events educate students and parents about how to pack and wear school back packs.  Parents and children can “weigh-in” with and without their backpacks or bags to see whether they are carrying more than 10% of their body weight.  AOTA recommends that school backpacks weigh no more than 10 percent of a child’s body weight. Some other recommendations to help minimize the risk of injury include:

1. Fit is best if your child can try the back pack on before it is purchased.
2. Wide, adjustable and padded shoulder straps are best. Encourage your child to use both straps over both shoulders so that the weight is evenly distributed.
3. The back of the back pack should be padded and should fit as closely as possible to your child’s back. If your child has a spinal curvature the straps could tightened differently to make the back pack fit as close as possible to their back.
4. Encourage the right size for your child. It should essentially be the size of your child’s back.

A Fitting Guide for a Child’s Backpack. 2006, Chris Adams, Licensed to About.com

It should be no lower than two inches below the waist.  If the back pack is too far below your child’s waist and not snug against his/her back, the weight of the pack will be concentrated at the shoulders which could make your child lean forward.  This promotes an atypical posture.  A good reference for sizing your child for a backpack is here:  https://www.thoughtco.com/fitting-guide-for-a-childs-backpack-1206463

5. Additional compartments around and inside the back pack help to distribute the weight evenly. Teach your child to place heavy items close to the back of the back pack and place lighter items on the outside.
6. If you choose a backpack with wheels, make sure that your child can walk and pull it safely as it could pose a tripping risk, especially in crowded hallways. If it has an attached scooter (which could be helpful if your child walks to and from school), make sure that there is padding between the scooter and your child’s back.

Hopefully these guidelines will ensure a healthy posture for your child.  We don’t want them to be a “pain in the neck….or back”.

Disclaimer:

The information on this blog is meant to provide general information and should not be used as medical advice.  If you need specific therapeutic advice, you should consult a therapist in person.

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