Following a landmark study on the dangers of sports goods to children, NR Times reports on the games with the highest brain injury risk factor.
A recent study found that over six million children suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from consumer products – mainly sports equipment – in an annual period in the US.
The research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that TBI accounted for 12.3 per cent of all consumer product-related children’s emergency room visits reported in the US in 2019.
Studies have shown that approximately 10 per cent of traumatic brain injuries in the US every year are due to sports and recreational activities.
TBI is the leading cause of death and disability in children. Paediatric TBI is associated with several distinctive characteristics compared to adults that are associated with the age gap.
TBIs occur when there is a direct or indirect blow to the head. They can include bumps and bruises, concussions, skull fractures and serious brain injuries.
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons the top 10 sport and games-related head injury categories among children ages 14 and younger are: playground equipment, football, basketball, cycling, baseball and softball, soccer, swimming, trampolines, powered recreational vehicles and skateboards.
Playground equipment
Studies have shown that swing-related injuries amount at 40.5 per cent in preschool-aged children.
Another study by the National Centre for Injury Prevention and Control said that children are visiting emergency rooms for head injuries as a result of trauma on a playground more now than in past decades.
In 2005, about 21,000 children in the US were admitted to a hospital as a result of a head injury suffered on a playground. In 2013, that average yearly number had risen to about 30,000.
American Football
American Football is the most popular sport in the US. According to HealthResearchFunding.org, concussion rates for children under aged 19 who play football have doubled over the last decade, most occurring during practices.
Football
Heading the ball is a common manoeuvre in football, making protection from head injuries more complicated than in other sports. A player may make direct contact between their head and a speeding soccer ball several times in a game, all without the protection of a helmet.
Basketball
Researchers looked at emergency room visits for children ages five to nineteen and found that traumatic brain injuries associated with playing basketball – predominantly in the form of concussion – had spiked 70 per cent between 1997 and 2007.
Cycling
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, more children from ages five to 14 visit emergency rooms for biking-related injuries than from any other sport.
Helmets can reduce the risk of sever brain injuries by 88 per cent. However, approximately 55 per cent of children are reported not always wearing a helmet while bike riding.
Swimming
According to ASA, the most occurring brain injuries in swimming pools are caused by poorly executed dives and by head to head clashes when training in a lane where swimmers are swimming in a circular rotation.
Trampoline
Trampolines have provided fun and exercise for children for decades, but trampolines also pose a risk of TBI. This usually occurs from falling off the trampoline, landing incorrectly on the frame or spring of the trampoline, or colliding with another trampoline user.
Skateboard
According to Safety First, 20 per cent of skateboard injuries were to the head with a higher proportion of head injuries occur to skateboarders who are under 10 years old.
One-third of injuries affect newcomers but even experienced skateboarders are not immune to the TBI.
