A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the reported number of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) among young athletes has more than doubled in the past 10 years. But, as Reuters reports, the increase might actually reveal a positive step forward in terms of awareness of the dangers of a head injury.
In 2001, the CDC counted 153,375 instances of sports-related injuries from activities such as bike riding, football, basketball, soccer and playing on the playground. By 2009, that number had increased dramatically to 248,418. However, the fact that young men make up 71 percent of TBI-related emergency room visits can be viewed as a positive, says the CDC, as an increased awareness of TBIs has led to more care being taken by sports coaches and parents.
According to a CDC release, “Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from participation in sports and recreation activities have received increased public awareness, with many states and the federal government considering or implementing laws directing the response to suspected brain injury.”
The report found that boys were most often injured playing football and bicycling, while girls were more likely to get injured playing soccer, basketball or bike riding.
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.