Pack it light. Wear it right.

08/15/2008

Riley Hospital for Children offers tips on buying and packing backpacks for school.

INDIANAPOLIS - There are four words that make every school age child in America cringe, "summer is almost over." Then there are the next four words which may be equally as frightening, "first day of school."

Parents are flocking to stores to purchase school supplies including pencils, lunchboxes, folders and the ever-important backpack. It's hard to go wrong when buying folders or pencils, but the wrong backpack can mean bodily injury for a child.

When it comes to buying a backpack, Riley Hospital for Children and the American Occupational Therapy Association would like parents to remember two things: Pack it light. Wear it right.

"Aching back and shoulders, tingling arms, weakened muscles and stooped posture are all symptoms related to carrying a backpack that is too heavy or worn the wrong way," said Cara Fast, MSW, manager of the Riley Safety Store and child injury prevention programs for Riley Community Education and Child Advocacy. "To help children load and wear their backpacks and avoid pain and other health problems, we encourage parents to follow simple guidelines."

• Make sure the backpack is the right size for the child's back. Choose a lightweight pack that doesn't add much weight to the child's load.
• Be sure the backpack has two wide, padded straps that rest comfortably on the child's shoulders. The child should always wear both straps when carrying the backpack.
• Adjust the shoulder straps so the pack fits snugly to the child's back. The bottom of the pack should rest at the curve of the lower back.
• Buy a backpack with a waist belt, which helps distribute the weight of the child's load.
• A child should not carry a backpack that weighs more than 15% of their body weight. For example, if a child weighs 100 lbs. their backpack should not weigh more than 15 lbs.
• Lay the heaviest items in the backpack first so they will be closest to the child's back.
• Arrange books and supplies so they don't move around in the backpack.
• Check the child's backpack to make sure the items they're carrying are absolutely necessary.
• When the backpack is too heavy, the child may hand-carry a book, lunchbox or other items to lighten the load.
• If the backpack is too heavy, consider buying the child a backpack on wheels.

The Riley Safety Store offers Riley backpacks for purchase by the general public. Back-to-school safety information, including information on how to select and properly pack a backpack, is included with each purchase.

For more information about backpack safety and the Riley Safety Store, please call 317-274-6565 or 1-888-365-2022 (toll-free) or visit www.rileyhospital.org.