Minor head injuries suffered in school sports can have long-term effects and can cause mental impairment. According to a recently published study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, injuries such as concussions need to be taken more seriously by both parents and coaches. The statistics from the report are enough to worry any soccer mom and every parent with a child who plays sports.
Amateur soccer players suffering concussions had "cognitive impairment" in 39% of the cases in one study. "Minor traumatic brain surgery" (MTBI) was highest among 15- to 24-year-olds. Of 1 million MTBI cases, 300,000 are sports- or recreation-related. Teens may need longer to recover from concussions because young brains are more vulnerable.
Other injuries don't make such dramatic news. They're the ones Dr. Jordan Metzl, a specialist in pediatric and adult sports medicine and an attending physician at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery, regularly sees walking, or hobbling, into his office - the overuse injuries. Overuse injuries are common with children, especially teens and are directly tied to adolescent growth. The good news for parents is that such injuries can be reduced or avoided with parent education. "I am very much into education on all levels," says Dr. Metzl, "for pediatricians, and perhaps more important, for parents and coaches."