Heavy schoolbags stunt growth among children: Experts
They should carry only 10%-15% of their body weight, says guideline.
Bangalore: Sanjana, a nutritionist and a mother of 8-year-old Sarthak, is concerned about her son developing a slouch, but has not been able to understand the problem. “He does complain of back pain, but it is the bending that is of late becoming a problem for him.”
At such a tender age Sarthak carries a bag weighing more than 6 kg, and he is not alone. With an increase in weight of school bags, doctors are concerned about the negative impact it will have on the children’s developing spine.
A general guideline states that they should carry only 10%-15% of their body weight. However city doctors said they are carrying somewhere between 20%-30% of their body weight, which is the reason behind growing numbers of school children suffering from irreversible back problems, which may even 'deform' them.
“There has been a considerable increase in the number of parents coming to our hospital to get their children treated of severe back pain and injury,” said Dr Ajith Benedict Rayan, vice-president, HOSMAT hospital.
“Children’s skeletons are still growing so carrying heavy bags can cause lasting damage,” said Dr Ranganath C, Pediatric Orthopedic & Spine Surgeon at BGS Hospital. “It can stunt the growth of skeleton in growth period,” he added.
“Many are carrying their bags on one shoulder or are increasingly carrying them on the crook of their elbow, so are putting a great strain on the spine,” said Dr Gauri Shankar, consultant orthopedic and spine surgeon of People Tree Hospital.
The prime reason for students carrying such heavy bags is the number of work books and text books the children carry for the same subject. “There are so many notebooks for one particular subject,” said Dr Ajith.
As the spine is at a critical stage of development in children between 12 and 14 years, doctors feel that extra precaution should be taken for this group. Dr Ranganath said, "It has been linked to back deformity."
Section 29 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2010, states that the weight of schoolbags must be reduced to ease the burden on students. Two years after the RTE Act came into force, students still carry heavy schoolbags.
But the reality is way too different. Children carry over 35% of their weight on their backs, nursery and kindergarten students are not spared. However, there some city schools such as Centre for learning, Shibumi and Valley School which do not entertain kids bringing heavy bags to the school.