Helmets Could Help Head Off Injuries in Skaters

Is ice skating your family's favorite way of spending a winter day? You know that you need to protect little fingers and toes from the cold when skimming across the ice - but you may not realize the importance of protecting their heads, too. In 2001, hospital emergency departments treated 11,100 injuries from recreational ice skating. Researchers from the Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio studied skating injuries in kids and suggest new rules should be implemented that require helmets for ice skaters.

Researchers compared skating-related injuries that were treated at a large children's hospital, including ice skating, skateboarding, rollerskating, and in-line skating injuries, over a 31-month period. They noted the type and severity of the injury, the body parts that were affected, whether the child was wearing any safety gear, and whether an adult was supervising the child at the time of the injury.

During the 31 months of the study, 419 skating-related injuries were treated in the hospital's emergency department. Ninety-one percent of the injuries occurred after a fall, but colliding into a stationary object, being hit by a car or bike, and colliding with another skater were other causes of injury. More than three quarters of the children wore no protective equipment at the time of the injury.

When injuries from ice skating, skateboarding, rollerskating, or in-line skating were compared, ice skaters were at greater risk of injury to the head (20% of injuries) than in-line skaters (4.9%). Head injuries sustained by rollerskaters and skateboarders were 9.2% and 15.9 %, respectively.

The majority of injuries to in-line skaters and rollerskaters were upper arm injuries, presumably because they were attempting to break a forward fall. The current study suggests that skateboarders and ice skaters may be falling backward or sideways and are unable to use their arms to prevent injury to the head.
  
What This Means to You: For skating sports such as skateboarding, rollerskating, and in-line skating, medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children always wear protective equipment including helmets and wrist, elbow, and knee padding. In this study the researchers found that the proportion of head injuries among ice skaters was even greater than other skating sports, such as in-line skating. They conclude that helmets should be mandatory for kids who ice skate. The researchers also suggest that other protective equipment (wrist, elbow and knee pads) should be considered when ice skating and that younger children (< 5 years) may not be developmentally ready to participate in skating activities. To reduce the risk of injury in your child, be sure that helmets and protective gear are an essential part of your child's skating preparation.

Source: Jennifer McGeehan, MPH; Brenda J. Shields, MS; Gary A. Smith, MD, DrPH; Pediatrics, July 2004

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: August 2004

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