When we were children, it felt like we had the weight of the world on our shoulders with those overstocked backpacks. But not anymore. Parents, school officials and medical professionals have wised up to the potential health hazards of packing those backs too much. Hence, the ever-growing popularity of backpacks on wheels.{relatedarticles}Believe it or not, there's even a Backpack Safety America organization that was created to help lift the heavy burden off of children. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 6,500 trips to the emergency room every year by children 5-18 are due to injuries related to backpacks or book bags. In fact, it's such a serious issue that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Physical Therapy Association, the American Chiropractic Association and the International Chiropractors Association have all jumped on the bandwagon.
In one study, the average age of the child was 14 with a body weight of 113 pounds. The average weight of their backpack was a whopping 21 pounds, which is almost 20 percent of the child's body weight. Experts recommend that the backpack weigh no more than 10 to 15 percent of the body weight. That means if a child weighs 40 pounds, the backpack should weigh no more than 6 pounds.{relatedarticles}If the child weighs 50 pounds, the backpack should weigh no more than 7.5 pounds. The American Physical Therapy Association and the American Pediatric Association recommend the following tips to prevent injury. Wear both straps over the shoulder so that the weight is evenly distributed. Also look for padded straps. Take the backpack on and off carefully. Keep the weight of the backpack below 15 percent of the body weight. Carry the backpack in the center of the back and make sure the backpack doesn't hang below the lumbar spine.