Soccer's Popularity Adds Injury Numbers for ER Visits
Over a 13-year period almost 1.6 million US children needed to visit the emergency room due to soccer-related injuries, according to a report in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
The study included injuries that occurred during both organized and non-organized soccer play.
Past research on soccer injuries has tended to focus on pro players, injuries to specific body parts, and age- or gender-specific soccer injuries. This study is the first to investigate soccer-related injuries among the entire US pediatric population.
"Soccer is a relatively safe sport, especially compared to other sports," says study author Christy Collins, Ph.D., at the Children's Research Institute at Columbus Children's Hospital in Ohio.
"We want kids to play, but we also want them to be as safe as possible," she says.
During the study period - 1990 to 2003 - the number of high school students playing soccer more than doubled from 305,102 to 658,817, the researchers note.
Dr. Collins says accurate estimates of how many younger children are playing are harder to come by, because there is no national database of soccer organizations.
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that more than 11 percent of youngsters were involved in youth soccer in 1990, and that this number rose to nearly 22 percent by 2003.
For the study, Dr. Collins and her colleagues examined data from the US Consumer Products Safety Commission National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which is made up of 100 nationally representative hospital emergency departments.
They found that just under 1.6 million children between the ages of two and 18 sustained soccer injuries serious enough to require an emergency room visit during the study period.
Boys were the most likely to be injured, with nearly 59 percent of the injuries occurring in males. Youngsters between the ages of 10 and 14 had the highest rates of injuries, sustaining 49 percent of all injuries.
While boys sustained the majority of the injuries, the rate of injuries rose faster among girls. The researchers suspect that this may be because more girls are now playing soccer.
The most common injuries were to the hand, wrist, or fingers, followed by ankle injuries and knee injuries. Girls were more likely to sustain ankle and knee injuries and to have sprains or strains than boys.
In older players - those ages 15 to 18 - concussion was the most common injury and often occurred due to collisions with other players or from falling to the ground.
Even the youngest players were not immune to injuries. Children ages two to four sustained more injuries to the face, head and neck than older players.
The youngest players (especially boys) were also more likely to be hospitalized for soccer injuries than their older counterparts.
“In general, younger children have great difficulty expressing themselves in words,” says coauthor Christy Knox. “When that child is injured, it seems prudent to hospitalize and observe that child.”
"This study is interesting, but it misses a whole group of kids - those that go see a physician rather than head to the hospital for their injuries," says Dr. Cynthia LaBella, at the Institute for Sports Medicine at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "As a sports medicine provider, I see a ton of injuries."
The bottom line, says Dr. Collins, is that injuries will happen when kids play sports. But, many of these injuries can be prevented.
Both Dr. Collins and Dr. LaBella say that children should wear appropriate protective equipment, depending on the sport. Playing fields should also be even and well-maintained to prevent falls.
Children should be on teams that are not only age-appropriate but size-appropriate. The majority of injuries occurred in the 10- to 14-year-old age group, a time when there is a great variation in children's sizes.
Both experts suggested that parents talk with the coach and make sure their approach matches your child's - for example, whether your child is competitive or just out for some recreational fun.
Dr. LaBella stresses that children should never play through pain.
"Kids aren't little adults," she says. "They need to give their body time to recover. Kids shouldn't push through pain. Pain is a sign of overuse or an injury."
Always consult your physician for more information.
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According to the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), parents should enroll a child in organized sports through schools, community clubs, and recreation areas that are properly maintained.
Any organized team activity should demonstrate a commitment to injury prevention.
Coaches should be trained in first aid and CPR, and should have a plan for responding to emergencies.
Coaches should be well versed in the proper use of equipment, and should enforce rules on equipment use.
Organized sports programs may have adults on staff who are Certified Athletic Trainers, states NIAMS. These individuals are trained to prevent, recognize, and provide immediate care for athletic injuries.
Make sure a child has - and consistently uses - proper gear for a particular sport. This may reduce the chances of being injured.
Make warmups and cool downs part of a child's routine before and after sports participation.
Warmup exercises, such as stretching and light jogging, can help minimize the chance of muscle strain or other soft tissue injury during sports.
Warmup exercises make the body's tissues warmer and more flexible. Cool down exercises loosen muscles that have tightened during exercise.
Make sure a child has access to water or a sports drink while playing.
Encourage him or her to drink frequently and stay properly hydrated.
Remember to include sunscreen and a hat (when possible) to reduce the chance of sunburn, which is a type of injury to the skin.
Sun protection may also decrease the chances of malignant melanoma - a potentially deadly skin cancer - or other skin cancers that can occur later in life, according to NIAMS.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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