• No more than 10-15 percent body weight
• Well-padded shoulder straps (over both shoulders, not just one)
• Abdominal strap to evenly distribute the backpack load over shoulders and back
• Weight of the pack should not fall below the pant line.
• Well-padded pack to prevent being poked by pencil boxes, rulers
• Heaviest books in the front part of the pack, closest to the back
ATLANTA — Even if you’re not a parent of school-aged children, the traffic and returning road rage has signaled the beginning of a new school year.
But what may not be common knowledge, even to parents, doctors say, are the risks associated with lugging around heavy backpacks.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, backpack-related injuries send an estimated 5,000 children a year to emergency rooms. More than 14,000 children are treated annually for injuries.
Carrying a heavy backpack is bad enough, but if a child also suffers from scoliosis, a stress fracture or muscle strain, the weight can aggravate the condition or delay recovery, said Dr. David Marshall, medical director of sports medicine at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.