CTE - protecting children playing sports
Experts believe that multiple concussions and blows to the head cause the neurodegenerative disorder CTE. The condition can be officially diagnosed only after death.
A single concussion or even a few concussions have not been linked to cases of CTE. It requires multiple concussions combined with several sub-concussive blows.
Symptoms of CTE may include dementia, brain fog, personality changes, mood disorders, impulsivity, and aggression. It is a progressive condition. The symptoms vary for everyone. Researchers are not sure why these differences exist, but they believe it may be related to the region of the brain where CTE starts.
Youth Concussions - What To Do if Your Child Has a Concussion (cordiscosaile.com)
Concussions and Sports
Brain injury is the leading cause of sports injury deaths, according to Stanford Children’s Hospital. Sports injuries account for 21 percent of traumatic brain injuries.
Football
Football 🏈 Football is a contact sport, and the players in the middle of the conflicts are most likely to be hurt. According to the CDC, 49 percent of concussions occur during running plays, and 63 percent happen during tackling. Linebackers and running backs sustain the highest number of concussions.
Prevention could include limiting contact during practice and expanding noncontact programs.
Basketball 🏀
High school girl basketball players have higher rates of concussion than their male counterparts. The majority of concussions sustained by basketball players of both genders occur during contact with another player.
The best preventive measures are enforcing the rules of fair play and training players to avoid unsafe maneuvers.
Baseball/Softball
Baseball is the sport with the highest fatality rate among children ages 5 to 14, with approximately 3 to 4 fatalities annually.
Approximately 26 percent of concussions occur when players are hit by pitched balls, and another 26 percent occur when players in the outfield are hit by balls. The best preventive measure is to require players to wear batting helmets.
Soccer
Heading (hitting the ball with the head) is a major concern in soccer and is responsible for 31 percent of concussions among girls and 28 percent among boys. Concussions in soccer are more common among girls.
According to US Soccer recommendations, players younger than ten should not be allowed to head, and players ages 11 to 13 should only be allowed to head during practice.
LACrosse
Approximately 77 percent of concussions among boys who play lacrosse occur during contact with another player, most commonly while body-checking. Among girls, the most common cause is contact with the lacrosse stick.
Limiting contact during practice by restricting the time spent on scrimmages and full-speed drills could prevent some concussions.
Cheerleading
Most concussions during cheerleading occur during practice, with almost 91 percent occurring during toss or lift stunts. Nearly 45 percent of cheerleaders who sustain concussions lack a spotter. The CDC recommends cheer squads take the following preventive measures:
Limit stunts during practice
Always use spotters
Perform stunts on soft surfaces in good condition
Teach safe techniques
Only attempt new stunts with proper instruction and coaching staff present
Hockey
Players are 13 times more likely to suffer concussions during competitions than during practice. Wingers face the highest risks. About one-third occur when a player is checked (attempting to use the body to separate a player from the puck).
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting body checking to only the most skilled players and to those who are ages 15 and older.
Combat Sports
In wrestling, takedowns are the most common actions that result in concussions. In boxing and martial arts, knockouts and technical knockouts are the most common causes, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Teaching proper takedown techniques and enforcing rules restricting head contact are the most effective preventive measures for these types of sports.