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An Overview- Child Sports Injuries
More than 38 million children and adolescents participate in some form of organized sport or outdoor activity. Out of those 38 million, more than 3 million children are injured each year.
Child Injury Rates
Statistics below provided by the American Academy of PMore than 38 million children and adolescents participate in some form of organized sport or outdoor activity. Out of those 38 million, more than 3 million children are injured each year. At Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys, we have the experience and resources to handle your child’s case. If your child has been the victim of a serious sport’s injury, contact our offices. We are available 24/7, nights and weekends.ediatrics.
- Approximately, 3.5 million children and adolescents ages 14 and under get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities.
- Each year, more than 775,000 children and adolescents ages 14 and under are treated in emergency rooms for sports-related injuries.
- Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40% of all sports-related injuries treated in hospitals.
- Death from a sports injury is rare; the leading cause of a sports-related death is a brain injury.
- Sports and recreational activities contribute to approximately 21% of all traumatic brain injuries among American children and teens.
- The majority of head injuries occur during bicycling, skateboarding, or skating incidents.
Child Sports and Recreational Activities with High Injury Rates
While contact sports may be expected to have the highest number of injuries, all sports pose some risk for potential injury or trauma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the following sports are associated with child injuries:
- Football – Each year, doctors treat an estimated 389,000 musculoskeletal injuries due to football in children 5 to 14 years of age (AAOS).
- Basketball – Approximately half a million children are sent to the ER in each year for basketball-related injuries (CPSC).
- Baseball and Softball – About 108,300 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year from baseball and softball related injuries (AAP).
- Bicycling – In children under 14, bicycling results in three times the number of hospital visits for suspected head injuries than football (CDC).
- Cheerleading – Among girls, cheerleading is the single most dangerous activity among all sports and recreational pursuits (CPSC).
- Skateboarding – Skateboarding injuries cause about 50,000 visits to emergency departments every year (AAP).
- Trampolines – Children ages 6 to 14 comprise almost two-thirds of the hospital emergency room injuries for trampoline accidents (CPSC).
Common Sports-Related Injuries in Children
Sprains and Strains – Sprains and strains comprise a majority of sport-related injuries. A sprain is an injury to a ligament while a strain is an injury to either a muscle or a tendon.
Concussions – From 2001 to 2005, more than 500,000 children between the ages of 8 and 13 years of age were sent to the emergency room for concussions. Approximately half of these visits were a result of concussions related to organized sports.
Overuse Injuries – Experts say up to 50% of all injuries seen in pediatric sports medicine are related to overuse. Overuse injuries can cause damage to a growing child’s hard and soft tissues and cause problems (like arthritis) in later life.
Traumatic Brain Injuries – Traumatic brain injuries are the number one cause of sports-related deaths in children. An estimated 2 out of 5 traumatic brain injuries among children are associated with participation in sports and recreational activities.
Heat-induced Illness – There are several forms of heat-induced illness including heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stress, and heat stroke. The most dangerous of these is heat stroke, which occurs when the body temperature rises above 104.˚ Heat stroke can be deadly.
Growth Plate Injuries – The growth plate is the area of developing tissues at the end of certain bones in growing children and adolescents. Growth plate injuries (GPIs) can cause lasting damage to developing bone and tissue and can permanently affect the growth and development of young athletes.
Contact an Experienced Child Injury Attorney
At Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys, we have the experience and resources to handle your child’s case. If your child has been the victim of a serious injury, contact our offices. We are available 24/7, nights and weekends.
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