What Age Is Too Young For Contact Sports? Medical Advice Still Unclear

BOSTON (AP) – New guidance on concussions shows there isn’t enough solid evidence to answer some of parents’ most burning questions about contact sports. That includes what age is safest to start playing them. Pediatric experts in sports medicine, neurology and related fields evaluated and rated three decades of sports concussion-related research. They say recent evidence filled in some blanks. Such as: — Teen girls face higher risks than boys for concussions when playing the same sport by the same rules — Hockey body checking bans reduce concussions in players under 13 — Limiting contact in youth tackle football results in fewer head impacts. “Parents worry, ‘Is one concussion to my child going to result in him having dementia at age 50?'” said lead author, Dr. Frederick Rivara. “And the data are pretty clear that the answer is no.” But it remains uncertain how many concussions are too many, when to call it quits, and what are the long-term consequences of multiple concussions in youth sports. Still, parents shouldn’t let the unknowns and undue fears keep kids from playing sports, he said. “The last thing we want to tell kids is not to be active,” said Rivara, a pediatrician and injury prevention researcher at the University of Washington’s medical school. The panel’s consensus statement was published online Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Among the conclusions: —Kids should be taught ...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Boston News Health Syndicated CBSN Boston Youth Sports Source Type: news