Calling All Soccer Moms

As the popularity of the sport of soccer increases, so does the number of children throughout the country who play the sport--from novice preschool-age players to top-notch high-school athletes.

Naturally, as more kids play, the number of children who get injured increases as well. In fact, from 1990 through 2003, 1.6 million kids suffered from soccer-related injuries that took them to the emergency rooms of their local hospitals.

That breaks down o 96,200 to 136,600 pediatric soccer injuries annually, according to researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Their study is published in the February issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Soccer injuries peaked in 2,000 when approximately 2 in every 1,000 children in the U.S. sought emergency care for a soccer injury.

Boys suffered from the most injuries, although over the 14-period of the study, there was an increase in girls getting hurt. Preschool-age children, and they reviewed medical records of children as young as two years old, sustained a higher number of injuries to the face, head and neck.

Overall, the most common injuries were to the wrist, finger, hand ankle and knee. Diagnoses ranged from sprains and strains to contusions, abrasions and fractures.

Tips for keeping your kids safe.

So how can you keep your child safe on the soccer playing field? Follow this advice from SafeUSA.org, a nonprofit organization in Baltimore, Md., dedicated to injury and violence prevention. This group compiled safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and other sports health organizations:

1. Make sure your child has a complete physical exam from his pediatrician or family physician before the soccer season begins-or before he starts any new season of sports.
   
2. Make sure she wears all the required safety gear every time she plays and practices, that includes shin guards and cleats; some programs encourage the use of mouthguards. Boys should wear athletic supporters. All kids should wear sunscreen and have plenty of water on hand.
   
3. Insist that your child warm up and stretch before playing.
   
4. Make sure first aid is available at all games and practices.
   
5. Talk to you child's coach about whether kids are receiving adequate training how to "head" the ball to prevent head and neck injury.
   
6. Make sure your child's coach or soccer club is adequately securing movable soccer goals. Goals have been known to tip over causing severe head injuries.
   
7. Beware of violent behavior and aggressive infractions on the field. Talk to your child's coach or the referees if you see some offensive, aggressive behavior.
   
8. Keep soccer fun. Putting too much focus on winning can make your child push too hard and risk injury.

Sources:

SafeUSA, (www.safeusa.org/sports/soccer.htm)

American Journal of Sports Medicine, February 2007, (http://ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/2/288)

Columbus Children's Hospital news release, February 1, 2007,
(http://www.columbuschildrens.com/gd/applications/controller.cfm?page=204&id=338&type=new)