Every year, thousands of children experience a traumatic brain injury or facial injury from a fall while bicycling or participating in another recreational sport.
But many of these injuries - some of which are fatal - could have been prevented with use of a proper-fitting helmet, research shows.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has reviewed the benefits of helmet use and encouraged adults to model routine use of helmets in an updated policy statement released in the September 2022 Pediatrics.
Helmets save lives
“The evidence is clear: helmets save lives and significantly reduce the risks of severe injury,” said Lois K. Lee, lead author of the statement, written by the AAP Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention.
“And yet sports-related injuries make up a substantial proportion of all traumatic brain injuries. As a pediatric emergency medicine physician, I advise all my patients and their parents to wear helmets.”
Bike accidents
Research has shown that injury rates from recreational sports among those aged five years and older are highest for children aged five to 14 and youths 15 to 24.
Accidents on their bikes are one of the leading causes of sport-related head injuries in children.
But not enough kids wear helmets, and not enough adults enforce that they do.
AAP recommendations
The AAP recommends:
- Children, teens and their adult caregivers should always wear a sport-appropriate and correctly fitting sport helmet during participation in recreational sports, including, but not limited to, bicycling, snow sports, ice skating, and equestrian sports
- Because of the differences in engineering, helmet types should match the sport for which they are designed
- To promote helmet use, children can be encouraged to choose their own helmet and decorate it to reflect their individuality. Reflective stickers and lights can also be added to increase visibility of the child when bicycling on the road
- The helmet should be replaced if involved in a crash, damaged, or outgrown. It’s best to avoid using previously owned helmets, if possible
- Pediatricians should inform parents and patients of the importance of wearing helmets during recreational activities and sports, including discussing age- and sport-appropriate helmet use.
Safer together
“We love to see children out on bikes and enjoying physical activities of all kinds,” Dr Lee said.
“Make helmets part of your routine, like requiring seatbelts, and encourage kids to personalize their helmet and make it fun. Families who wear helmets together are safer together.”