Many children today are coming home with backpacks laden with several books, notebooks, calculators and school supplies — and some parents are worried. All this weight can cause damage to your child's growing body.

• Excess weight can cause neck, shoulder and/or back pain
• Four to 6 percent of children who complain of back pain are really experiencing a stress fracture
• The excess weight may hurt your child's posture

How Boston Children's approaches backpacks and back pain

At Children's, doctors can help your child if back pain is caught early. However, doctors are more interested in preventing your child from developing back pain in the first place, and one of the first steps is in making sure your child uses his or her backpack efficiently. While there is still controversy over how much damage a heavy backpack can inflict on your child's back, it doesn't hurt to follow some safety tips.