THE CHIROPRACTORS’ Association of Ireland has called on the Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, to address the “unnecessary damage” being caused to children’s backs because of excessively heavy schoolbags.
“Heavily laden schoolbags place stress on growing spines and can lead to long-term back problems. If measures are not taken soon, the situation will reach a critical point,” Dr Attracta Farrell, the president of the association, said yesterday.
She referred to a 13-year-old girl she recently diagnosed with scoliosis as a result of the heavy schoolbag she was carrying. Scoliosis is a medical condition affecting the spinal cord and can, in severe instances, cause diminished lung capacity, putting pressure on the heart, she said.
The association recommends that a growing child should carry no more than 10 per cent of their body weight in their backpack. This amounts to about 4-5kg per 40-50kg student.
Badly loaded bags and poor posture also compound the problem, according to the association. “Trendy ways to carry a bag negate their inbuilt ergonomic features,” it said.
“Bags with very narrow straps that cut into the shoulders are damaging to our children’s spinal health, not to mention the practice of slinging the bag over one shoulder.”
Responding to these concerns, the Department of Education has pointed to its awareness-raising campaigns on the issue in 1998, and 2005. The department said it was “a matter for each individual school to choose those measures that would be most suited to its individual needs”.
Although decisions on the choice of text book were taken at school level, the department said that the Educational Publishers Association had been asked to take the issue into consideration and to consider increasing the number of multilevel textbooks, relieving children’s schoolbags of unnecessary weight.
“Despite what you might think, bags with wheels, are not the answer,” Dr Farrell said. She said that while this may seem like a good solution, such bags are not designed for the routine wear and tear that a trip to school entails.
“Students may have to pull such a bag over rough ground or grassy areas. They might also have to lift it up stairs and on and off public transport. All of these actions impact normal posture and could prove problematic in the long run.”
HEAVY LIFTING A USER'S GUIDE
1.Pack the schoolbag carefully, placing the heavier items closest to the child's back.
2.Encourage the child to carry the bag properly, using both shoulder straps and not just one.
3.Make sure the child does not wear a backpack any lower than the hollow of the lower back.
4.Suggest that the child use a locker if available and store unneeded books and sports equipment when possible at school.