Children’s school bags ‘too heavy’
Charity urges children to lighten the load and save their backs
School children are damaging their young backs by carrying too much weight in their bags, BackCare charity have warned.
The back health charity believe that as many as 80% of children use poorly designed bags for school and wear them in the most harmful way possible – slung over one shoulder.
Excessive load carrying on one shoulder for a long period of time could cause immature spines to be at risk of back and spine problems in adulthood.
“Back pain is a real problem for some children, causing an estimated 15% to seek medical help. It’s important for parents to take care over the backpack their child uses for school and try to ensure they wear it correctly," Sash Newman from BackCare has urged to parents.
A well-designed backpack should have a padded back panel with adjustable, padded straps for comfort and keep weight spread evenly over the back area. The school bag should not weigh anymore than 10% of your child’s body weight.
If you’re concerned about the weight of your child’s school bag and how to prevent back damage, take a look at BackCare’s website. Also, check out our guide to the best back-to-school bags for inspiration.
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