Sport the leading cause of child head injuries

Sports are the leading cause of head injuries among Victorian children and adolescents presenting to hospital, with Australian Rules football accounting for one in three sports-related head injuries, according to a study by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.

Almost a third (32 per cent) of school-age children who presented to The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne with head injuries were hurt during sport, ahead of traffic accidents (20 per cent) and injuries sustained during leisure activities such as bike riding and using play equipment (17 per cent).

Of children presenting with sports-related head injuries, one in three were injured playing football (33 per cent), followed by cricket (12.4 per cent) and equestrian (11.6 per cent). Boys accounted for almost 80 per cent of presentations.

Co-author Professor Vicki Anderson said the findings, published today by Emergency Medicine Australasia, highlighted the importance of implementing safety measures and educating coaches and clubs about the risk of head injuries, particularly in high-risk sports.

“Head injuries are a major cause of death and disability in children and even minor injuries can lead to problems with behaviour, attention and learning,” Professor Anderson said.

“It is vital that coaches and clubs understand the risk and put in place appropriate prevention measures and return-to-play guidelines.”

The study - the first of its kind to report on a full range of hospital-based child head injuries in Australia - retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 406 children aged 6-16 years who presented to the RCH’s emergency department with head injuries over a 12 month period.

While the majority of sports-related head injuries were classified as mild including drowsiness, disorientation and brief loss of consciousness, one in ten injuries were more serious involving skull fractures and bruising to the brain.

Of particular concern, half of children injured from equestrian accidents were not wearing head protection at the time, putting them at increased risk of severe injuries.

Professor Anderson said the data from this study was likely to under-represent the total number of sports-related injuries in Victoria each year as many children did not present to hospital, instead attending GPs or seeking no medical help.

Professor Vicki Anderson has appointments at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne.

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