Nonfatal Traumatic Brain Injuries Related to Sports And Recreation

The number of children age 19 and younger treated for traumatic brain injuries in ERs across the U.S. surged from 153,373 in 2001 to 248,418 in 2009, according to a October 2011 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 62 percent increase is attributed to increased participation in sports and growing awareness among the public about the need for children and adolescents to see health professions when they suffer head injuries. Among those treated, 71 percent were male and 70.5 percent were between the ages of 10 and 19. The activities most associated with traumatic brain injury ER visits were bicycling, football, playground activities, basketball and soccer.

Read the report.