A study conducted by Major Dr S Bakhtiar Choudhary, a sports medicine expert and consultant at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, has revealed that working on a computer produces more strain than breaking a concrete slab with a jackhammer. While this is applicable to adults, it is even more relevant in the case of kids, whose bones and muscles are still developing.

Most kids use computers and furniture designed for adults. So their feet are not grounded and dangle, their arms are overstretched, and most of the time, they are forced to sit on the edge of the chair. This can cause neck and back ache. Reaching for the mouse can result in shoulder and neck pain. A poorly positioned monitor can aggravate neck pain and poor wrist placement on the keyboard can cause wrist/ hand pain.

According to Dr Deepak Sharan, physiotherapist, anyone using a computer keyboard two or more hours a day, could get Computer Related Injury (CRI). "Awareness about CRI is largely lacking among computer users and medical professionals in India. Early symptoms are ignored or treated inappropriately (eg, with braces, Vitamin injections or Cortisone tablets), often leading to a situation when it's impossible to work productively any longer," he says.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD), Computer Vision Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and cervical spondilitis, are some of the permanent hazards of poor computer ergonomics. Prolonged activity without a significant break can cause eye irritation and accommodative problems. This is because the eyes' focusing system "locks in" to a particular target and viewing distance, causing difficulty in focusing on another object, even long after the original work is completed.

Kids could suffer from the above problems if exposed to prolonged repetitive, forceful, or awkward hand movements, poor posture, "static loading" (holding a posture that promotes muscle tension for a long period), poorly fitting furniture and basic inadequacies of keyboard, monitor and workstation design.

"Slow accumulation of injury occurs with gradual development of difficulty in day-to-day activities such as shaking hands, opening doors, holding newspapers, using a comb, or even holding a teacup. It's not uncommon for people to have to leave computer-dependent careers as a result," says Dr Sharan.

Some specialists believe there's no perfect way to sit, or for that matter, arrange a workstation. The natural variability in people dictates that the system must be flexible in order to meet the unique needs and dimensions of all users. However, anthropometry, the measurement and study of human body dimensions like height, weight, reach lengths, and eye heights, helps ergonomists fit people with their physical environment.

The Western world abounds with specially designed products like 'My Board!' and 'Little Mouse' developed by Secret7 and a range of "little" keyboards, seating furniture and accessories by Ergoworks but India trails behind due to lack of awareness in this area.

"There's no anthropometric data available on children that can be used by the designers or furniture manufacturers. Such data should be made available so that data pack, work posture, behaviour, safety and ergonomics of computer furniture can be worked out," says Dr Gaur G Ray, Head of Department of Ergonomics, Industrial Design Centre, IIT (Mumbai).

"We have hardly any ergonomic computer furniture for the adults. Forget about the children," he adds.

Says Vinit Mallik, father of a Net-savvy seven-year-old: "My son uses my office computer and sits on my adjustable chair while he surfs. I raise the chair for him but he's still uncomfortable. I wish there was some special furniture I could get him." Samir Desai who has a five-year-old daughter, says, "She throws her head back to look at the monitor and ends up with a neck pain. A special table or cabinet may help." Five-year-old Ojas Kulkarni from Pune complains of painful fingers after using the mouse for a while. His parents however have no idea of a smaller mouse that will suit him better.

What you can do

Most experts agree that children can sit for about an hour in adult-sized chairs without any discomfort. For longer periods, it's recommended that you make the chair better fit your child. If the chair is adjustable, try lowering the arm rests, raising the seat pan, and pushing the lumbar support forward or place a pillow under your child's bottom and behind his/ her lower back. Their eyes should be level with or just slightly above the top of the monitor, about 24 inches away. Positioning documents close to the screen will minimize the amount your child has to turn or twist his head while working. To avoid eyestrain, ensure frequent breaks by installing monitoring software like ErgoMonitor that pops up the occasional "break reminder".

The right (neutral) posture:

• Well supported back (angle greater than 90°)
• Lower shoulders
• Relax arms
• Level elbows with the keyboard
• Straighten hands and wrists
• Bend neck slightly
• Level eyes with text on the monitor
• Rest your feet on a footrest or on the floor
• Popliteal angle greater than 90° (i.e. angle behind the knees should be open)