Many Midlands parents may have picked up
backpacks during back-to-school tax-free shopping, and it's the ‘back' in
‘back-to-school' that local doctors are talking about.
"Unfortunately
the technology (in making the backpacks) has gotten so good the kids can carry
too much weight," said Dr. Mark Locke, a pediatric orthopedic specialist with
the Moore Clinic and Palmetto Health Children's Hospital. "So I think it's now
an important issue for parents to be aware of and especially for the middle
school age group."
Dr.
Locke says because backpacks can now hold so much weight, there's often a
mismatch of a child wearing a backpack made for an adult.
Doctors
say children should not be carrying more than 20 percent of their body weight.
"Use your scale!," said Dr. Locke. "Everybody has a scale…. we're all worried
about our weight. So use your scale, take your kids backpack and weigh it,
weight it, weigh it."
Dr.
Locke adds as a student packs a backpack, the heaviest books in the bag should
be carried closest to the child's back as it is easier to support the bag when
packed that way. He says while some have turned to rolling backpacks, that they
are not always the most practical for students in crowded hallways. Dr. Locke
adds that he believes the best option is to keep an eye on the weight of the
bag.
The
Consumer Product Safety Commission says nearly 5,000 emergency room visits are
injuries related to book bags each year.
While it was long believed that a heavy
backpack could cause scoliosis in a child, Dr. Locke says that is not the case
because recent studies have shown scoliosis is hereditary.
However, doctors say a heavy backpack can
cause extreme pain and damage to a child's body. "Your spine connects to your
pelvis and that area is an area that can get really irritated," said Dr. Locke.
"It's called your SI joint. We see probably 10 kids a week who get back pain in
that area from backpacks."
Dr. Locke says making sure your child is not
carrying a heavy load will not only help avoid their pain, but also a huge
medical expense. A child with back pain can often lead to tests that cost
upwards of $15,000.
Dr. Locke adds he believes that this type of
injury may start to go away as tablets and e-readers become more prevalent in
schools. However, until then he says it's critical that parents keep an eye on
their kids 'backs' as they head back to school.
Copyright 2012 WIS. All rights reserved.
