Go Back to School Safely
Monday, August 17, 2009
Back-to-School means new backpacks, lunch boxes and school supplies! When purchasing Back-to-School supplies it is important to keep your childs health in mind. Over the past couple of years, there's been concern about exposing children to school products contaminated with lead and other toxins. And for many years, the Center for Environmental Health has been warning us about lead found in lunch boxes and backpacks. What a difference a few years make, according to the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), parents can feel a sense of relief from the latest findings.
Carolyn Cox is research director at the Center of Environmental and on CEH web site she is quoted as saying "In our testing this year we found very, very few problems," said Cox. "We found one backpack with lead problems and then we did find this pencil pouch with lead problems." Overall, Cox gives the back to school industry a "B" for getting the lead out.
New federal standards passed by Congress imposed strict lead limits and multi-million dollar penalties for violators. Successful lawsuits filed by the Center for Environmental Health and other groups have helped as well. Still, parents need to be cautious. To ensure your Back-to-School supplies are safe, the CEF has updated their Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies.
In addition to being lead-free another health concern is with the size of your child's child's backpack. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 12,309 bookbag injuries, in 2008, sending kids to doctor's offices, hospitals and emergency departments. To minimize injury, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends:
• Purchasing backpacks with different-sized compartments as well as construction features such as padded shoulder straps and dense material to protect against sharp, protruding objects.
• Organizing the backpack to use all of its compartments. Place the heaviest items closest to the center of the back.
• Not overloading the backpack. A heavy backpack forces the wearer to bend forward..
Tips for wearing a backpack
• Wear two shoulder straps so the weight of the backpack is better distributed, and a well-alighed symmetrical posture is promoted.
• The size of the backpack should match the size of the child and when filled should not weigh more than 15-20% of the child's body weight.
• Play close attention to how the backpack is positioned on the back. The backpack should rest evenly in the middle of the back. Shoulder straps should be adjusted to allow the child to put on and take off the backpack without difficulty and permit free movement of the arms.
Carolyn Cox is research director at the Center of Environmental and on CEH web site she is quoted as saying "In our testing this year we found very, very few problems," said Cox. "We found one backpack with lead problems and then we did find this pencil pouch with lead problems." Overall, Cox gives the back to school industry a "B" for getting the lead out.
New federal standards passed by Congress imposed strict lead limits and multi-million dollar penalties for violators. Successful lawsuits filed by the Center for Environmental Health and other groups have helped as well. Still, parents need to be cautious. To ensure your Back-to-School supplies are safe, the CEF has updated their Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies.
In addition to being lead-free another health concern is with the size of your child's child's backpack. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 12,309 bookbag injuries, in 2008, sending kids to doctor's offices, hospitals and emergency departments. To minimize injury, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends:
• Purchasing backpacks with different-sized compartments as well as construction features such as padded shoulder straps and dense material to protect against sharp, protruding objects.
• Organizing the backpack to use all of its compartments. Place the heaviest items closest to the center of the back.
• Not overloading the backpack. A heavy backpack forces the wearer to bend forward..
Tips for wearing a backpack
• Wear two shoulder straps so the weight of the backpack is better distributed, and a well-alighed symmetrical posture is promoted.
• The size of the backpack should match the size of the child and when filled should not weigh more than 15-20% of the child's body weight.
• Play close attention to how the backpack is positioned on the back. The backpack should rest evenly in the middle of the back. Shoulder straps should be adjusted to allow the child to put on and take off the backpack without difficulty and permit free movement of the arms.
