Study shows that sports-related concussions in kids doubled
A study showed that that sports-related concussion on kids has doubled in just a decade.
The concussion rate among high-school-age athletes is higher; however, the increasing rate of concussions among younger athletes is intolerable. The study signify the first attempt to document and record the national occurrences of sports-related concussions among children in elementary and in the middle school.
The study of data from hospital emergency departments across the nation showed that between 2001 and 2005, roughly half a million visit in the ER for concussions occurred among 8 to 19 year olds. About half of that were sports-related and about 40% of sports related concussions involved children aging between 8 and 13. Football and Ice hockey contributed with the most concussion injuries being an organized sport, while snow skiing, bicycling, and playground injuries were accounted for the most concussions occurring from non-team related activities.
Although involvement in organized sports has declined slightly, team-related concussions incident doubled from 1997 to 2007 in 8 to 13 year olds and more than doubled on older teens.
“We don’t really know why this is,” said Dr. Lisa L. Bakhos, a Brown University pediatric emergency medical specialist. “We know that kids are bigger now than they were in the past, which could be contributing to this trend. And sports seem to be more competitive.”
The study appears in the September issue of Pediatrics, along with a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, examining sports-related concussions in children and adolescents.
The study also revealed that female athletes have a higher rate of concussions than boys who play the same sport. A theory suggests that girls have weaker neck muscles. That is why they are more likely to sustain head injuries.
“In my experience, girls also tend to be more aggressive in their sports than guys,” said Dr. Mark E. Halstead of Children’s Hospital St. Louis. “That may also be a factor.”
