New research shows that among all sports and age groups concussions are now the highest among high school girls who play soccer.
Who knew?
The study done by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine reviewed data from nine sports during 2005-2015. Of the more than 40,000 injuries reported, 6,399 were concussions. Other findings include:
- In the same sports, girls experienced higher concussion rates than boys.
- Surprisingly, the concussion rate was higher among girl soccer players than even boy football players.
- Concussions among high school girls in soccer were greater than any other group in any sport.
The study suggests that girls face a greater risk of concussions in soccer due to the lack of protective gear, regular player-to-player contact, and the popularity of ‘headers’.
On a positive note, the increasing rate of concussions might also show that parents, coaches, athletic trainers, and sports officials are doing a better job of recognizing these injuries more quickly and getting kids the medical attention they need than ever before.
If your child shows signs of a concussion, such as a headache, nausea/vomiting, confusion or sluggishness, contact your pediatrician or one of our specialsits..
