Heavy schoolbags on children causes spinal cord injury, experts warn parents

Medical experts have cautioned parents against heavy schoolbags on children, saying that heavy loads
may cause spinal cord injury.

Some of the medical practitioners told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that parents should avoid
packing too many books and other items in children’s schoolbag as most of the bags are carried on the back.

Dr Ewot Ndaeyo, the acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, said that the weight of children
must be considered by parents before packaging any loads in their backpack.

He said that primary school pupils who should be between 15 and 25kg were seen in some cases carrying
25kg backpack, noting that “this is not fair, there is need to balance the weight.

“So, my advice is that parents should not overload children’s schoolbags; the launch pack gives easy way of carriage, the
schoolbag and launch pack balances the child whenever he or she is walking.”

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He added that the lunch pack and water should be enough for the children in order not to cause injury to the spinal cord.

Dr Jimoh Abubakar, the Director of Public Affairs, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC),
also warned parents to guide against spinal cord problem for the children.

According to Abubakar, some people see the loading of children’s schoolbags as status symbol, noting that such habit affects the child’s
spinal cord.

He said “the children of the elite are more culpable; the elite see it as status symbol where they buy costly bags with loads of books,
you are indirectly overburdening the children.”

The director urged schools both public and private to emulate western countries where children’s books were kept on the shelves instead
of making children to be carrying them to and from school daily.

According to him, children’s books are only released to them when they are going on vacation, as they do not
carry educational materials to school every day.

He advised that both breakfast and lunch should be paid along with school fees to
make school authorities responsible for daily meals of pupils and students while in school.