According to IMSS data, children carry an average of 12 kg in their backpacks.
One of the concerns that we must have as parents on this return to class, is knowing what is the appropriate weight of our children’s backpack. According to data from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and the Ministry of Health, children should carry a backpack with a maximum weight of 6 kilograms.
Unfortunately, this information is not widely disseminated, since according to estimates, children carry up to 12 kilograms in their backpacks on average, that is, double what they should carry.
What do the children carry in their backpacks?
School supplies are usually 4 professional notebooks, 3 textbooks, a pen, a dictionary, folders and a lunch box. Some may bring extra materials for their classes. All this added up, can weigh more than 10 kilos.
If this continues, children could have back, hip and knee pain before the age of 18, problems that can be irreversible.
Parents and teachers are recommended to take the necessary measures so that the backpacks do not weigh more than 6 kilograms, and that the children carry the backpack properly: in an upright position and without stooping, the size of the backpack should not be greater than the back of the child and the load must be distributed on both shoulders. The backpack should be glued to the lumbar area, with the padded belt and at the level of the abdomen, with the heavy objects as close to the body as possible.
It is also recommended that the backpack be multi-compartment for better weight distribution. If possible, the backpack should be of wheels and carried forward, so as not to pull it and thus avoid injuries to hands and wrists.