Recent studies suggest that children are suffering potentially devastating spinal and muscular debilitation due to the ongoing strain of lugging heavy or unbalanced backpacks.

Overloaded backpacks:

• Cause the shoulders to round, leading to poor posture later in life
• Distort the natural curves of the spine, leading to muscle and joint strain, as well as stress on the rib cage
• Force the child to lean forward, losing balance and risking a fall

Here are some backpack safety tips:

• Tell your child to avoid carrying the backpack on one shoulder. This can cause a muscle strain from the uneven weight. Excessive weight on one side also pulls the neck muscles, and can cause headaches as well as neck and arm pain.
• Do not allow your child to carry a backpack that is more than 10 percent of his or her body weight.
• Don't allow the backpack to hang more than four inches below the waistline. This increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking. Choose backpacks with wide, padded straps that are adjustable. Make sure that backpack is snug (but not tight) against your child's back. The shifting weight of the backpack causes strain on the child's neck and back muscles.