The school year has begun and surely your children have adjusted to being in school all day. Backpack safety is often times overlooked. After all, they are just used to carry all essential school material around.

There are more than 6,000 backpack related injuries each year in the United States alone. Parents need to keep this in mind to assure that their child does not sustain an injury related to their backpack. I must say that in the past I did not pay much attention to this. My kids need their stuff for school, so into the backpack it went. After doing several hours of research, I learned that backpack safety is often not given much attention. I have since started paying much closer attention to what is necessary to be transported back and forth to school.

To reduce the number of these types of injuries there are a few simple steps that you can follow.

1. When choosing a backpack, pick when that is not heavy. There is no need to add extra weight to the load your child has to carry around every day. It should have two wide straps with padding at the shoulders. The back of the pack should also be padded to prevent being poked by sharp objects that may be in the backpack.

2. Make sure the backpack is the right size for your child. It should cover 75% or three-quarters of your childs back. Anything that is larger than that will put unnecessary strain on the lower back.

3. Pay close attention to what you are putting into the backpack. The weight of a full backpack should not be more than 15% of your childs body weight. Put the heavier items closest to the back. This will give the needed extra body support. If your child needs to bend forward to carry the backpack, then it is much too heavy.

4. Make sure that the backpack is worn properly. Both shoulder straps should be worn. Only wearing it on one shoulder puts excess strain on the upper back. The shoulder straps should fit snug, but not tight. Also, if the backpack is equipped with a waist strap it should be used at all times to help support the load.

In conclusion, if all of these simple steps are followed it will help in prevent any injuries that may occur as a result of a backpack. Kids books are a great way to help in the development of your young child.