Skiing, Snowboarding Aren’t the Only Causes of Youth Winter Injuries

Every year, thousands of children in the U.S. are injured in winter-related activities, regardless of whether they live in warm or cold climates.

Tracy Zaslow, M.D., director of the Children’s Orthopaedic Center Sports Concussion Clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), notes that skiing, snowboarding and sledding do cause many of the pediatric injuries she sees during the season. Children are at higher risk than adults for skiing and snowboarding injuries, with males most at risk for severe injuries to the head and neck. Nearly half of injuries occur with novice beginner skiers and snowboarders, Dr. Zaslow says, in part because they are less likely to have mastered the skill sets needed to avoid obstacles and fall down safely.

“Because of the high speeds that are traveled, it can go from a mild injury – bruises and sprains — to severe fractures that require surgery or head injuries that lead to bleeding in the brain,” says Dr. Zaslow.

However, some less-than-traditional winter sports can lead to serious injuries too, especially in warmer climates or coastal states.

“One thing interesting about Southern California, for example, is that the surf is usually bigger around winter time,” says J. Lee Pace, M.D., director of CHLA’s Sports Medicine Program at the Children’s Orthopaedic Center, “So you tend to see more surfing injuries, from ankle or knee sprains to broken bones to head injuries.”

Warmer winters also tend to foster overuse injuries as kids continue to play the same summer and fall sports in the offseason. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, overuse injuries in children are on the rise in recent years, especially those related to athletics. These occur when parts of the body don’t have proper time to heal between use, and young growing athletes could suffer injuries that impair growth or lead to long-term health problems.

“As much as we want to go out and enjoy these fun winter activities, we want to think about safety as well,” says Dr. Zaslow.

CHLA doctors say the one type of injury they see all year, regardless of season, is concussion. “People often think concussions are really exclusive to football and other high contact sports,” says Dr. Zaslow, “but we see them from all different sports, including surfing, skiing, snowboarding. And so really one of the best ways to prevent a serious concussion is to know your surroundings.”

She says parents should stress to kids the importance of staying alert. On the slopes, that means knowing who is skiing above and below you, where out-of-bounds areas are, and keeping a watch for obstacles like rocks and trees. On the surf, that means recognizing shallow shoals and understanding how big a wave you can handle. And on the playing field, that means knowing when your body needs a rest by keeping track, for example, of the number of pitches thrown, balls kicked or laps swum.

Source: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles