Children's Health Children's Safety

Overloaded Backpacks Can Harm Children's Backs

Summary & Participants

Backpacks and purses can easily go from useful to dangerous; learn the best ways to carry your daily essentials without backaches or pain.

Medically Reviewed On: November 12, 2008

Webcast Transcript

DR. NANCY SNYDERMAN: Hello, I’m Dr. Nancy Snyderman with this week’s Healthful Hint.

It’s amazing how much stuff kids put in their backpacks. It may keep them prepared in the classroom, but an overloaded bag can lead to a backache. A child’s backpack should weigh less than 10% of his or her weight. That means 8 pounds for an 80-pound child. Straps should be kept tight so the load doesn’t swing around and stress the child’s spine. Kids should always wear both straps on a backpack to distribute the weight evenly. It may not look cool, but how cool is a backache?

And it’s not just kids who need to take precaution; women shouldn’t lug around purses that weigh more than six or seven pounds. Carry them with the straps crossed over your chest; not only does it guard against purse snatchers, it keeps the weight close to your center of gravity, decreasing the strain on your back.

One more trick is to carry things in a waist-pack. It takes the load off your back and puts it on your hips, which can handle more weight. The best solution is just to cut down on your load. Don’t let an extra item be the straw that breaks your back.

With Healthful Hints, I’m Dr. Nancy Snyderman.