NSC: Children in popular Olympic sports suffer most injuries

Itasca, IL – With the Summer Olympics about to begin in Brazil, children may dream about having a medal draped around their neck one day.

Parents, meanwhile, should focus on keeping their Olympic hopefuls injury-free.

National Safety Council analysis of data from 2014 shows children 14 and younger involved in gymnastics, soccer, and swimming and diving have the highest percentages of injuries requiring treatment in a hospital emergency room. According to the data, 77.7 percent (26,845) of children needed treatment for injuries sustained during gymnastics, 44.8 percent (107,494) suffered serious injuries playing soccer and 52 percent (93,178) were taken to the hospital with swimming and diving injuries.

NSC is urging parents to:

• Ensure children receive regular sports physicals.
• Know the signs of a concussion and how to prevent them.
• Take first aid and CPR classes.
• Keep an eye out for possible safety hazards on fields and at facilities.
• Always keep children hydrated.

“The Olympics are a testament to what we can accomplish when we work hard and dream big,” NSC President and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman said in a press release. “Being mindful of safety can ensure big dreams are not dashed by preventable injuries.”