Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Many children return to sports such as soccer, football, cross-country and volleyball when they return to school. Jon Divine, M.D., clinical director of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, says it’s most important for parents to help their children get in shape before showing up for the first day of practice or tryouts to reduce the risk of injury.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, approximately 3 million children and adolescents ages 14 and under get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities. More than 775,000 children and adolescents ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. Most of the injuries occurred as a result of falls, being struck by an object, collisions, and overexertion during unorganized or informal sports activities.
Dr. Divine suggests these additional tips to ensure children’s safety when they return to school sports:
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News and World Report's 2011 Best Children's Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for gastroenterology and in the top 10 for all pediatric specialties - a distinction shared by only two other pediatric hospitals in the United States. Cincinnati Children's is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org