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Children Should Rely on Safety Equipment to Prevent School Sports Injuries

Newswise - Many children return to sports such as soccer, football, cross-country and volleyball when they return to school. Jon Divine, M.D., previously director of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and now head team physician at the University of Cincinnati, says it's most important for parents to help their children get in shape before showing up for the first day of practice or tryouts to reduce the risk of injury.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, approximately 3 million children and adolescents ages 14 and under get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities. More than 775,000 children and adolescents ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. Most of the injuries occurred as a result of falls, being struck by an object, collisions, and overexertion during unorganized or informal sports activities.

- Young athletes with asthma should use preventative inhalers 20-30 minutes before exercise, do a gradual warm-up and should have a rescue inhaler available to them during practices and during competition.

-Make sure children wear a well-fitted helmet if they play football, softball or baseball to prevent severe injuries such as concussions. Many head injuries result from helmets not being fitted or used correctly.

-Remind children to immediately tell the coach or trainer if they feel dizzy or have a lapse in memory after taking a blow to the head.

-Parents need to be mindful that athletes who have symptoms affecting their thought process after taking a blow to the head should not return to the same practice, game or contest and should be evaluated by a physician prior to return to play.

Source: NewsWise