Backpacks are a wonderful invention. They let you carry many items while keeping your hands free to do other things. When worn correctly, the weight in a backpack is evenly distributed across the body, and shoulder and neck injuries are less common than if someone carried a briefcase or purse.

However, if a backpack is too heavy or worn incorrectly, they can strain muscles and joints and your child may experience serious back pain.

Over a third of the children in the United States have back pain they associate with wearing backpacks.

Here are some tips on saving your child's back:

• Make sure your child’s backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of their body weight, or the backpack will cause your child to begin bending forward, causing harmful stress on their back.

• When packing the backpack, make sure pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child’s back.

• Tell your child to use both shoulder straps and not just one. If the pack is slung over just one shoulder, this will eventually cause neck and muscle spasms, as well as low back pain.

• Padded shoulder straps are very important to keep the strap from digging into your child’s shoulders.

• The shoulder strap should be adjustable so it can be adjusted to fit your child’s back. A pack that is too loose and hangs low on the back will cause misalignment and pain.

• Check the contents of the backpack. Is everything in it necessary? If so and it’s too heavy, consider a rolling backpack instead. This will save your child a lot of pain.

Improper backpack use can also lead to poor posture. Girls and younger kids may be especially at risk for backpack-related injuries because they're smaller and may carry loads that are heavier in proportion to their body weight.

You may need to adjust the backpack and/or reduce how much they carry if they:

• struggle to get the backpack on or off
• lean forward to carry the backpack
• have back pain

Try your child's backpack on and walk around for 10 to 15 minutes. If you think it's too heavy or you begin to feel a pull or strain in your back, or notice you're beginning to lean forward to offset the weight, then you can bet it's way too heavy for your child.

If your child has back pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs, talk to your doctor or chiropractor right away.

Save your child's back – inspect their backpacks on a regular basis.

More than 17 million toys have been recalled since 2007 due to lead poisoning hazards and/or violations of lead safety standards. If your child's toys contain metal, you may want to check to see if they've been recalled. If they have, return them to the company that made them or discard them.

In late 2010, Fisher Price recalled over 10 million toys due to protruding parts or choking hazards. This list included tricycles and play places.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and The National Safe Kids Campaign recommend you ask yourself the following questions:

• Do the toys have sharp edges? (Unsafe)
• Are the electric toys UL approved? (If not, they're unsafe)
• Do the toys have small, removable parts? (This could present a choking hazard)
• Do you check the age recommendation prior to purchase?
• Are there long straps or cords? (This could present a strangulation hazard)
• Do you regularly examine toys for broken or missing pieces? (Time to throw away)
• Are paint sets, crayons, and markers non-toxic? (Always be safe)
• What type of toy chest does your child have? Does it have a lid? Does the lid have locking supports and safe hinges?
• Do you leave metal toys outside overnight where they can begin to rust and become damaged? (If so, time to throw away)

Please don't assume just because toys are on the store shelf they are safe. Toys are still being imported with high levels of lead, and can usually be found in the discount stores.

If you believe you have a recalled toy, keep it out of the reach of children. If you feel your child was exposed to dangerous levels of lead paint, get them tested immediately. While small parts can cause a child to choke, lead affects a child’s brain, nervous system, heart, and red blood cells.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission continually lists recalled toys, and has since 1975. If you would like to see the most recent recalled toys, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html.