WASHINGTON: Despite parents' best efforts to protect their
children from getting hurt, one of the greatest sources of
potential injury which often goes unnoticed is the school
backpack. According to a report in NewsWise , the school bag
carried by children everyday causes pain and fatigue to as many
as 50 per cent of children today. A study conducted by the
American Physical Therapy Association has found that more than
50 per cent of children surveyed carry backpacks heavier than 15
per cent of their body weight. "Children carrying this kind of
weight can develop serious back pain and other problems that can
require treatment," says Avrom Gart, Medical Director at the
Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders. "To manage the
load, children sometimes arch their backs or lean forward,
causing them to develop poor posture as they grow," says Dr.
Gart. Wearing a backpack on one shoulder can also cause the
child to lean to one side to compensate for the extra weight,
resulting in an asymmetrical spine, back pain