BackPack Safety

OK. Maybe you have more important things to worry about. It is not like carrying a heavy backpack with a lot of school books can cause serious illnesses.

Carrying a heavy backpack can be a source of 'chronic, low-level trauma,'and can cause chronic shoulder, neck and back pain in your children.
Do you have concerns that carrying heavy backpack to school is causing health problems for your kids?

Check out the tips on BackPack Safety.

To Your Health,
Lisa

BACKPACK SAFETY

-- Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back.
-- Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of your child's body weight.
-- Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.
-- Consider a rolling backpack. This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load. Remember that rolling backpacks still must be carried up stairs, and they may be difficult to roll in snow.

The above health and safety tips are excerpted from the 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Back to School Tips.