Youth Sports Injuries

YOUTH SPORTS INJURIES MORE THAN HALF OF ALL SPORTS INJURIES IN CHILDREN ARE IN FACT PREVENTABLE. HERE ARE SOME BRIEF SPORTS INJURY FACTS GROWTH & MATURITY NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE As youth mature from puberty into adolescence the severity of sports related injuries increase. Sports contribute to approximately 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American youth. FOOTBALL Over 500,000 injuries occur annually to American youth from playing Football BASEBALL Most injuries occur as a result of being struck by projectile objects. FINGER, HAND & WRIST The most commonly injured areas are the fingers, hand, and wrist. HIP EXAMINATION In the child, hip pathology can present as knee pain so a careful hip exam is important in the child presenting with an insidious onset of knee pain. KNEE INJURIES Knee problems are also one of the most common injuries in the young athlete including anterior cruciate ligament damage TTTT PRACTICE / PLAY 30 MILLION Children and Adolescents in the United States Participate in Youth Sports F 62% SPORT BY SPORT Activities While injuries can range from scrapes and bruises to Sixty-two percent of organized sports related injuries occur during practices rather than brain and spinal cord injuries, most fall somewhere in between A recent games. survey found the 775,000 percentage of young athletes that have been injured while playing their respective sports More than 775,000 children and adolescents ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. PREVENTION PREVENTION OF SPORTS AND RECREATION-RELATED INJURIES IS THE IDEAL. THERE ARE SIX POTENTIAL WAYS TO PREVENT INJURIES IN GENERAL Pre-season Medical Service Proper Coaching Adequate Hydration Proper Officiating Proper Equipment Physical Exams at Sporting Events SOURCE INFORMATION www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/Sports_Injuries/child_sports_injuries.asp www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1112/mainpageS1112P1.html www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/21759/router.asp www.sportssafety.org/sports-injuryesaspx -facts www.stopsportsinjuries. FOOTBALL BASEBALL 25 SOCCER BASKETBALL 15% SOFTBALL 12% O