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CNN Live At Daybreak
The Real Problem with Backpacks
Aired August 14, 2003 - 06:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Back to school means it's backpack time again. Although parents cringe when they see their little ones carrying heavy loads, lugging books around all day may not be the real problem with backpacks.
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here to tell us why -- good morning.
DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Good morning, Carol.
And we worry about these backpacks, about our kids wearing them. And a study in the medical journal "Pediatrics" found kids are more likely to get hurt tripping over backpacks that have been left on the floor than by carrying them. And after tripping on them, getting hit by one was another big injury cause.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're kidding?
FRYHOFER: No. And, in fact, the majority of backpack related injuries, nearly 90 percent of them, did not involve an injury to the back at all. The most common location of injury was the head and face, not the back, followed by injuries to the hands, when those little fingers get gouged or jammed while reaching inside to get their pencils and compasses and all that kind of stuff.
COSTELLO: I did not expect you to say that. But it makes sense. I mean they're kids. They rough house, yes, and they're kind of doppy (ph) and -- so you can understand that.
But I've always heard that carrying the wrong kind of backpack can really hurt your back. So that is true, though, isn't it?
FRYHOFER: Well, I'm going to tell you exactly what to think about when buying your next backpack.
COSTELLO: OK.
FRYHOFER: The American Academy of Pediatrics has actually come up with some helpful tips for parents and for adults. Make sure the pack itself is lightweight and look for one with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Always use both straps and tighten the straps so the pack is close to your body and it's two inches above your waist. Pediatricians say the backpack fully loaded should weigh less than 20 percent of the child's weight. If you weigh the pack, you might be surprised.
Pack light, of course, and organize and place the heaviest items close to your back. And for heavier loads, you can use a waist strap and remind your kids to bend their knees when picking up the pack instead of bending over. Also, tell your kids to use their lockers so they don't have to carry everything at once. You can also find backpacks with wheels, but these are heavier and remember, they still have to be carried upstairs.
And it certainly seems that our kids need some instruction on backpack etiquette. Many of the injuries could have been avoided if kids simply put their backpacks in a safe place so other people wouldn't trip on them. And, of course, stress that a backpack is used to carry books, that's good. But don't use it to hit someone else.
COSTELLO: I'm sorry, it's not that it's funny, but it's funny.
FRYHOFER: Well, you know, they get these packs on and they move around and they don't realize that if you're right there, you're going to get hit.
COSTELLO: Oh, OK, so it's like wham!
FRYHOFER: And I've got two of them with backpacks at one time.
COSTELLO: Somehow I think that that advice isn't going to work, but it could. I mean telling kids to put more books in their locker instead of their backpack, I don't know...
FRYHOFER: Well, it has to help, if they'll do it.
COSTELLO: That's right.
FRYHOFER: But just don't hit anybody with your backpack.
COSTELLO: Definitely so.
Thank you, Dr. Fryhofer.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 14, 2003 - 06:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Back to school means it's backpack time again. Although parents cringe when they see their little ones carrying heavy loads, lugging books around all day may not be the real problem with backpacks.
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here to tell us why -- good morning.
DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Good morning, Carol.
And we worry about these backpacks, about our kids wearing them. And a study in the medical journal "Pediatrics" found kids are more likely to get hurt tripping over backpacks that have been left on the floor than by carrying them. And after tripping on them, getting hit by one was another big injury cause.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're kidding?
FRYHOFER: No. And, in fact, the majority of backpack related injuries, nearly 90 percent of them, did not involve an injury to the back at all. The most common location of injury was the head and face, not the back, followed by injuries to the hands, when those little fingers get gouged or jammed while reaching inside to get their pencils and compasses and all that kind of stuff.
COSTELLO: I did not expect you to say that. But it makes sense. I mean they're kids. They rough house, yes, and they're kind of doppy (ph) and -- so you can understand that.
But I've always heard that carrying the wrong kind of backpack can really hurt your back. So that is true, though, isn't it?
FRYHOFER: Well, I'm going to tell you exactly what to think about when buying your next backpack.
COSTELLO: OK.
FRYHOFER: The American Academy of Pediatrics has actually come up with some helpful tips for parents and for adults. Make sure the pack itself is lightweight and look for one with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Always use both straps and tighten the straps so the pack is close to your body and it's two inches above your waist. Pediatricians say the backpack fully loaded should weigh less than 20 percent of the child's weight. If you weigh the pack, you might be surprised.
Pack light, of course, and organize and place the heaviest items close to your back. And for heavier loads, you can use a waist strap and remind your kids to bend their knees when picking up the pack instead of bending over. Also, tell your kids to use their lockers so they don't have to carry everything at once. You can also find backpacks with wheels, but these are heavier and remember, they still have to be carried upstairs.
And it certainly seems that our kids need some instruction on backpack etiquette. Many of the injuries could have been avoided if kids simply put their backpacks in a safe place so other people wouldn't trip on them. And, of course, stress that a backpack is used to carry books, that's good. But don't use it to hit someone else.
COSTELLO: I'm sorry, it's not that it's funny, but it's funny.
FRYHOFER: Well, you know, they get these packs on and they move around and they don't realize that if you're right there, you're going to get hit.
COSTELLO: Oh, OK, so it's like wham!
FRYHOFER: And I've got two of them with backpacks at one time.
COSTELLO: Somehow I think that that advice isn't going to work, but it could. I mean telling kids to put more books in their locker instead of their backpack, I don't know...
FRYHOFER: Well, it has to help, if they'll do it.
COSTELLO: That's right.
FRYHOFER: But just don't hit anybody with your backpack.
COSTELLO: Definitely so.
Thank you, Dr. Fryhofer.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
