Age, maturity, equipment and supervision play a key role in helping kids participate safely in athletics. Parents can help make these activities a positive experience for children by knowing the causes of sports injuries and how to prevent them.

Physical checkups
Make sure your child is physically fit to participate in a particular sport. Your pediatrician should do a pre-participation physical exam, because he or she knows your child’s medical history best. Exams generally include height, weight and vital signs, plus checks of the eyes, nose, ears, chest and abdomen.

Start at the right age
Parents should allow children to participate based on:
•    Age.
•    Weight.
•    Physical development.
•    Emotional development.
•    Child’s interest in the sport.

Use proper equipment
Safety gear, including shoes, should be activity-specific, the correct size and fit well. Gear may include goggles, mouth guards, pads and helmets. For example, kids should wear helmets for baseball, softball, bicycle riding and hockey. They also should wear helmets while they’re skating or riding scooters.

Playing fields should be well maintained. High-impact sports, like basketball and running, should be done on surfaces like wooden basketball courts and tracks, which can be more forgiving than concrete.

Supervision is key to safety   
Qualified adults should supervise your child’s team sport or activity. It’s important that your child is taught how to play the sport before going out on the field.

Coaches should have training in first aid and CPR. Children should be prepared with warm-ups and training sessions before practices and games. Be sure the coach enforces playing rules and requires the use of safety equipment. A coach with a win-at-all-costs attitude may wrongly encourage kids to play through injury and not foster good sportsmanship.

Hydration
Children should drink fluids before, during and after each practice or game. To avoid stomach cramps from drinking large amounts of fluids at once, encourage your child to drink about one cup of water or sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes.

Injuries happen
It doesn’t matter what the sport or activity is, kids are at risk for injuries. A medical professional can offer guidance so you know when it’s safe for your child to return to regular activities. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin offers the only full-service sports medicine program in the state that is just for kids, including a new Concussion Clinic where children who have sustained a concussion can be evaluated. For more information, visit www.chw.org/sportsmedicine.

FAST FACT: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children begin participating in team sports at age 6, when they better understand teamwork.

Kevin Walter, MD, is program director of Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, and an assistant professor of Orthopedics (Pediatrics) at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Walter also sees patients at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-Greenway located west of I-894 and one block south of Oklahoma Avenue.

Each day in emergency rooms nationwide, more than 700 kids are treated for injuries received while riding bikes, skateboards and scooters. Many of these injuries are life-threatening and disabling. Wearing helmets and other protective gear, and following the rules of the road can help prevent injuries.   

Follow these tips to assure your child wears a bike helmet:
•    When you buy your child’s first bike, buy a helmet, too.
•    Be sure the helmet you buy is approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
•    Make wearing a helmet a rule you enforce.
•    Be a role model, always wear a helmet when you ride a bike.
•    Let your child personalize the helmet by using stickers or paint to decorate it.
•    Praise your child and others for wearing their helmets.
•    Help your child realize the head is the most important part of the body.
•    Help your child’s school establish and support the rule: “If you ride your bike to school, you must wear a helmet.”
•    Make sure the helmet fits properly. If the helmet is too loose, it is not protecting your child’s head. Bike riding can be fun for your family. Make sure everyone is wearing a helmet.

Protect your child by teaching the rules of the road
Riders should be restricted to sidewalks and paths until they reach the age of 10 and can demonstrate they know the rules of the road. Supervision is essential until children develop the necessary traffic skills and judgment.
•    Bicycles are vehicles, not toys. Riding bikes, scooters, skateboards and inline skates – especially around traffic – is an important responsibility.
•    When on the road, ride with traffic rather than against it. Ride as far to the right as possible.
•    Use appropriate hand signals.
•    Respect traffic signals. Stop at all stop signs and red lights.
•    Stop and look left, right and left again before crossing an intersection.
•    Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left at intersections.
•    Don’t ride when it’s dark. If riding at dusk, dawn or in the evening is unavoidable, equip your bike with lights. Make sure your bike has reflectors as well. Wear clothes and accessories that incorporate retroreflective materials.

FAST FACT: your child is 14 times more likely to survive a bike crash if he or she is wearing a helmet.

Jane Howard is the Injury Prevention event coordinator for Children’s Health Education Center. She works primarily with the Kohl’s Tour for Kids Safety. The tour travels throughout eastern Wisconsin offering booster and car seat checks and bike helmet fitting events. Low-cost bike helmets are available for purchase. Trained experts will fit your child with a bike helmet. These events are free and open to the public. No appointment is necessary. A limited number of Kohl’s gift cards also will be given away. Check for a tour stop near you at www.chw.org/carseats.
 

Concussions in young athletes are common and often misunderstood. Many children sustain concussions but do not report them to parents or coaches for fear of being sidelined from activities. When kids get concussions, medical follow up is crucial before they return to normal activities.

What is a concussion?
A concussion is a brain injury that generally is caused by a direct blow to the head or face, such as a sports injury or bad fall from a bike.

Symptoms of a concussion
Parents should be aware of the signs that a child may have suffered a concussion:
Mental:  Headache, confusion, feeling mentally foggy, seeing stars or flashing lights, impaired consciousness, poor concentration and attention.
Physical:  Vacant or glassy-eyed stare, double or blurry vision, poor balance and coordination, dizziness, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, incoherent speech, ringing in ears.
Behavioral: Inappropriate play on the field (running the wrong way), mood swings, trouble sleeping, irritability, changes in personality, nervousness or sadness, impaired academic performance.
Depending on the severity, concussion symptoms may last anywhere from a 10 to 15 minutes to several months.

Treating a concussion
A medical professional should always see a child with a concussion. A child can have a normal CT scan and still have a concussion. Parents need to know what to expect and when a child needs follow up care—especially if he or she continues to have symptoms. Only a medical professional can offer guidance to help parents know when it’s safe for a child to return to regular activities. Returning your child to a normal routine too soon, even if he or she has a mild concussion, can prolong symptoms, potentially causing brain damage or more severe problems. Never allow an athlete to practice or play in a game if he or she has sustained a concussion.

If symptoms worsen, call a physician or go to the emergency room.

Preventing concussions
Approximately 300,000 children suffer sports-related concussions annually. Concussions can’t be prevented, but you can decrease the risk by teaching proper technique and wearing protective equipment, including:
•    Helmets, other headgear and mouth guards.
•    Ensuring equipment is properly fitted.
•    Enforce rules and adopt less dangerous styles of play. A good example is a ban on body checking in hockey for players age 15 and younger.

Each concussion brings greater risk for more serious injuries, including additional symptoms and/or longer recovery periods. Be sure your children have the proper safety equipment for their activities and never be afraid to seek the expertise of a medical professional.


Kevin Walter, MD, is a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and an assistant professor of Orthopedics at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He also sees patients at the new Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-Greenway located west of 894 and one block south of Oklahoma Ave. Dr. Walter is one of fewer than 120 pediatricians in the country who are board certified in pediatrics and sports medicine.


FAST FACT: Never send young athletes with a concussion or symptoms of a concussion back into a game or practice. When in doubt, keep them out.