Dr. Lewis First (Provided photo)

With school back in session, parents are carrying a load of questions about their children and their heavy backpacks and wondering whether these packs can result in back problems in their little ones.

Let me back up and provide some information on backpacks.

There are some studies of high school and college students that suggest that if an older student carries a heavy load wearing only one strap of their pack on their shoulder, then serious neck, shoulder and back pain will result.

While no similar study has been done in younger children, we can just look at them and see that those who wear one shoulder strap do alter their posture and gait, or how they walk. This can certainly make them susceptible to getting back, shoulder, and neck discomfort.

That is why the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Physical Therapy Association recommend that backpacks should contain no more than 10-15% of a child’s body weight. If your child needs to lean forward to support the weight of the backpack, then it is too heavy.

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What kind of backpack is best?

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One that is lightweight and has two wide padded straps to go over the shoulders so they cannot dig into the shoulders to cause nerve pain.

One with a padded waist or chest belt to distribute weight more evenly and a padded back so sharp objects do not poke them in the back.

Multiple compartments are best to distribute the weight of the load, and the backpack’s width should be no greater than the child’s torso.

A backpack should not hang down more than four inches below the waist and should rest in the curve of the lower back.

Remember to make sure your child uses both shoulder straps!

Lastly, I recommend that the heaviest items be packed low in the pack and close to the body to help balance the load.

My rule of thumb is that if your child complains of back, neck, or shoulder pain during the week, and it gets better over the weekend, be suspicious of their backpack. Make a weight or shoulder strap adjustment or reduce the weight content, as necessary.

I find that removing interesting rocks picked up on the playground and overdue library books is an easy way to reduce the weight load, not to mention storing some of those heavy books and notebooks in a locker rather than carrying them around in a backpack all day.

Hopefully, tips like these will pack a powerful punch or should I say a nutritious school lunch, when it comes to your children wearing their backpacks appropriately.

Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.