School backpacks and satchels can contribute to back pain, due to the development of various muscle and bone disorders, and in exceptional cases even leading to the appearance of curvature of the spine in children, according to a new study by a group of scientists from Northern Spain.

The analysis involved 1403 children from 11 different schools in the country aged 12-17. According to the researchers, the greatest risk when wearing school bags occurs if they are overweight.. The experts add that it is important for parents to ensure that their children do not carry on their backs a weight that exceeds their individual critical weight.. It is easy to calculate it - it is equal to 10% of the child's body weight. That is, if the child weighs 40 kg. , then the weight of his satchel should not exceed 4 kg. , and ideally it should be even slightly below this level.

The researchers divided the students into several control groups, each of which wore backpacks of varying severity on their backs for a year.. Within the group where students wore knapsacks somewhat heavier than normal, back pain in children occurred on average 50% more often.. There is also an opinion that when children carry heavy bags to school for a sufficiently long period of time, this can inhibit their growth, since excessive weight puts pressure on the spine and intervertebral discs, thereby preventing the development of the entire muscular and bone structure of the body.. According to statistics, as a standard, about 75% of children wear backpacks to school, the weight of which is approximately equal to 15-20% of their body,.

in some cases, this figure can reach up to 25% of the body. According to scientists, “Such a strong static physical load on a growing body can cause certain deformities and lead to scoliosis, curvature of the spine, displacement of the vertebral discs, and hernia.. ” Many children are also accustomed to carrying backpacks on only one shoulder, a practice that is doubly dangerous as it can lead to the same effects, but is more likely to. When the child grows up.

he may begin to observe various anomalies in the structure of the body, in particular, one shoulder may be higher than the other, or one part of the body will be more developed than the other. “Such defects are very difficult to correct later, and therefore parents should carefully ensure that the child does not wear anything extra to school, even contrary to what teachers will say, who, as a rule, do not think about the health of children at all,” the researchers add..

Vladislav Vorotnikov.

nedug. en.

e-news. com. ua.