Risk of injury goes along with all sports
When I asked my patient what she did in her spare time, the teen explained that she was involved in several after-school activities, but gymnastics and diving were her true passions. “A bit of a daredevil, isn't she?” I joked with her mother. The mom laughed and agreed, recalling that even when her daughter participated in track and field, she just naturally seemed to gravitate toward hurdles and pole vaulting.
Sports are a valuable part of a healthy lifestyle for children and teens, but as with other vigorous physical activity, can be associated with some element of risk. When sports are performed with proper training and equipment and under the supervision of qualified coaches, the important physical and psychological benefits of sports participation generally still outweigh any risk of injury. This is particularly true when contrasted with the serious medical consequences — obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease — linked to a sedentary “couch potato” existence.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the most frequent reason for an emergency room visit in the 12- to 17-year-old age group is some type of sports-related injury. Sports injuries in adolescents and young adults tend to correlate with their larger physical mass as well as sports performances, which require a higher level of intensity and a greater production of force.
Not to be left out, younger kids age 5 through 14 are found to experience about 40 percent of all sports-related injuries. This group is thought to be injury prone due to an overall slower reaction time, an underdeveloped level of coordination and accuracy, and an inability to judge the risks of any particular action.
Among athletes age 5 to 14, contact and collision sports result in the highest rates of sports injuries. When taken as a whole, injury due to the sports of football, basketball, baseball and soccer accounts for 80 percent of all sports-related trips to the ER in this younger age group.
With a goal of promoting sports participation while minimizing the risk of childhood injury, the National Institutes of Health urges parents to involve their kids in activities led by coaches and trainers who are knowledgeable about their particular sport and able to respond appropriately to on-field emergencies. Sports venues should be well-maintained and safety gear should be readily available with use enforced by coaches.
Young athletes are advised to have a preseason physical exam and participate in regular physical activity, so they can gradually get in shape and stay in shape for their chosen sport. Time set aside for warm-ups and cool-downs before and after events can also help keep a youngster ready for action.
Children should pay careful attention to hydration during sporting events, bringing along plenty of water and stopping frequently for water breaks to avoid dehydration. Sunscreen is also a must for outdoor play with hats and sunglasses useful for sun protection when the particular sport allows.
Kids need to learn to read their bodies while at practice — when more than 60 percent of sports injuries occur — as well as during the big game. According to statistics from Georgia State University, only 1 in 16,000 high school athletes go on to have a career in professional sports. Sounds like depressing news for the committed young athlete, but these numbers can help keep parents grounded as they remind their kids that they are kids and do not need to play through pain or to the point of dizziness or physical exhaustion.
Ÿ Dr. Helen Minciotti is a mother of five and a pediatrician with a practice in Schaumburg. She formerly chaired the Department of Pediatrics at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.