How common are football injuries among children?
When you see your willowy son instantly bulk up through the magic of football's shoulder-to-shin protective padding, it's easy to flush with pride at this step toward manhood. And watching the tyke play the bone-crunching sport, it's also easy to feel a pang of worry. Children younger than 15 who play football suffer more than 448,000 injuries a year that require some degree of medical attention. In 1998, nearly 160,000 of those injuries required emergency medical treatment.
back to top I'm concerned about news reports regarding concussions among both college and professional football players. What about teen-agers?
The few peer-reviewed studies published so far, focused on older football players, are pointing in a discouraging direction. A study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 52nd Annual Meeting this May found that more than half of 1,090 former pro players had concussions as amateurs or professionals. Those players were more likely to have memory and concentration problems, numb or tingling fingers and toes, and headaches, among other lasting neurological problems. About one in three college football players had a concussion. Researchers who studied 393 injured college football players found they had difficulty within 24 hours with verbal learning, memory and speed processing information. The problems lingered up to five days, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Football accounts for 63 percent of mild traumatic brain injuries suffered by high school varsity athletes, researchers wrote in JAMA. Injury rates were higher in games versus practices and happened most often during tackles. Linebackers, running backs and offensive linemen were most likely have these injuries.
High school football players are returning to the field an average of four days after a concussion. Researchers suspect that's too soon. A study of 90 high schools funded by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to give more definitive guidance on how to handle such injuries among younger players.
back to top
My 13-year-old son injured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament playing football. He'd love to keep playing. I'd love for him to remain healthy. Can you tell us more about ACL reconstruction for someone his age?
Most 13-year-old boys still have more growing to do. Their growth spurt hits, on average, from age 13 to 15 and they can tower as much as 4 inches taller after their power growth year. Most boys your son's age still have an open growth plate. Your doctor will be cautious about ACL repair because the growth plate will need to accommodate a ten millimeter hole for the graft. The sorts of issues your orthopaedic surgeon will weigh include your son's size, physical development, willingness to follow an aggressive rehabilitation program, laxity in other joints as well as whether bracing or physical therapy has been effective.
back to top My son is playing organized football for the first time. Should we buy cleats or running shoes?
This depends on your son's league. In some leagues, sneakers or non-detachable rubber cleats are the norm. Other leagues permit detachable, soft-composition cleats. Your son's coach should give you the most accurate information.
back to top Other parents say if my son sprains an ankle he should soak it in hot water immediately. Is this true?
The best response for such folk tales is good, old-fashioned skepticism. Do not soak in hot water if you suspect a sprain. That bit of hot water unleashes a cascade of unwelcome reactions. Heat speeds blood flow. More blood flow means more swelling. More swelling increases pressure on the nerves, which causes more pain. Instead, wrap a bag of ice in a towel and place it on his injured ankle for 20 to 30 minutes every hour. The chilling effect of the ice numbs pain and prevents further swelling. (Do not put ice directly on the ankle as this can cause frostbite.)
back to top What are the most common football injuries among children?
Emergency-room workers most frequently treat finger injuries. Wrist, shoulder and ankle injuries are the next most common injury, followed by the knee.
back to top Which equipment can help protect my son from injuries while he plays football?
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons say to "Play it Safe". Your son should use all of the equipment required by most youth football leagues - a helmet, shoulder, hip, tail and knee pads, special pants, thigh guards, a mouthguard with required keeper strap, an athletic support and regulation shoes. For players who wear glasses, choose safety-glass lenses and a glasses frame construction approved for football.
back to top
