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Posture Perfect
Getting Kids to Straighten Up
By Lisa B. Samalonis
"Strain issues, such as neck strain, low back brain or carpel tunnel syndrome are the most common effects of bad posture," Dr. Fortuna says. "These come from overuse of the muscle."
In the long-term, abnormal bone growth could result from poor posture. "Bones can grow abnormally if they have too much pressure put in one direction," Dr. Fortuna says. "As the bones change their shape it becomes much more difficult to correct the problem."
Sitting in certain positions can be harmful to the child's spine or result in other bad effects. "The keys are an appropriate-size chair and desk, making sure the child's feet are touching the ground and that they are not tilting their head up to look at an adult-size screen," Dr. Fortuna says. "They should be looking at an eye-level screen and have the appropriate-size keyboard and mouse, if possible."
When sitting in an adult-size chair, place pillows under the child and behind him to support the back. If the child is writing at a des, tape the piece of paper in the direction position (directly in front and straight). This alone sometimes helps fix the posture problem.