Backpack Safety

Fall is in the air and kids are back in school. Make sure to check a few things with your child’s backpack in order to keep him/her safe this school year. According to the National Safety Council and the American Chiropractic Association, your child’s backpack should not exceed 10% of his or her bodyweight. For example, in a 60 pound child, the backpack should not weigh more than 6 pounds in order to comply with the weight parameters. Too heavy of a pack causes undue stress on the shoulders and neck. The heavier the pack, the more his or her head has to tilt forward which will lead to strain/sprains, headaches, and neck/upper back/shoulder pain. Make sure to weigh your child and keep those packs under 10% of their weight! Other things to consider when fitting your child for a pack are: make sure there is some reflective material if possible to keep them safer when walking at night, have the bottom of the pack reach no further than 4-5 inches below your child’s hips, use a pack that has padded shoulder straps to take pressure off of a growing spine, and consider using a backpack with a hip or chest strap to take some of the load off of the shoulders.