Written By: Kriti Saraswat | Updated : June 12, 2017 4:16 PM IST
The vacations are over and it's time for children to head back to school. But one of the reasons they may dread going back could be the heavy schoolbags they have to carry on their delicate shoulders. This can not only hamper their studies but also cause back and posture problems. Says Dr Zinal Unadkat, 'Children lose interest in coming to school with the stress of carrying heavy bags. Their mind is burdened with the weight of the books and this leads to low attention span.'
So what should be the ideal weight of schoolbags?
According to Dr Zubeir Patel, the maximum weight a child should carry is one tenth (10%) of their body weight including all things like their water bottle, lunchbox, etc. But the trend these days seems to be 20% says Dr Zinal.
What happens when the weight exceeds the said limit?
'Carrying very heavy backpacks can lead to musculoskeletal problems, especially if children carry the bag on one shoulder. It puts extra pressure on one side, tilting the spine,' she says. Dr Zinal also points out that keeping the bag down and then carrying it again is more dangerous for a growing spine than continuously walking with static weight.
Dr Patel explains, 'To carry a heavy bag, the child has to lean forward. This leads to developing a bad posture. The spine is a stack of bones called the vertebral column with the bones separated by a cartilage called the inter vertebral disk and held upright by the muscles and ligaments around it. The excess weight puts undue stress on the muscles, ligaments and disk thus damaging them. The alignment of the column is also disturbed causing it to bend, mostly forward or sideways.'
In other words, a heavy bag puts the child's health and physical development at risk which can hamper his/her overall growth.
'Children's skeletons are still developing, and having a heavy bag slung over one shoulder can exert unnatural force on the spine, muscles and attachments,' says Dr Smarajit Chakrabarty.
What immediate and long-term harms can it cause on the child's health?
Immediate ill-effects:
Back, neck and shoulder pain along with tingling, numbness and weakness in the hands.
Fatigue and an early development of poor posture.
Long term ill-effects:
Strain on the neck and shoulder leading to headaches.
Damage to the spine giving rise to problems like kyphosis hunched back or spine bent forward.
Scoliosis spine bent sideways.
Reduced breathing capacity due to pressure on the lungs resulting from a forward or sideways bent posture.
Back pains and muscle spasms as young adults which can be traced back to heavy schoolbags.
Every bone has a growth centre or points from which growth of the bone takes place as per the age. Carrying excess weight could damage these growth centres leading to stunted or abnormal growth of the bones of the child.
Here are some useful suggestions by Dr Smarajit Chakrabarty
Other tips to reduce weight
These are a few possible solutions that teachers and parents can implement in order to reduce the weight of their kids' schoolbags. It is important that they understand the gravity of this situation before it is too late.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of stress.
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