Keep Your Young Soccer Stars Safe If your children play soccer,
as millions of other kids do nationwide, then you need the
latest tips on keeping them safe on the field. Mouth guards, for
example, can reduce the risk for orofacial and dental injuries.
Each year, emergency rooms treat nearly 80,000 children between
5 and 24 years of age for soccer-related injuries, according to
federal government statistics.1 A new study conducted by The
American Journal of Sports Medicine tracked nearly 1.6 million
soccer injuries among children 2 to 18 years of age in a 13-year
period, using emergency room reports around the country. The
most common injuries among girls were sprained ankles, knee
injuries, scrapes, bruises, and fractures. Boys, on the other
hand, were more likely to have face, head, and neck injuries.2
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a significant
number of these injuries could be prevented if parents,
athletes, and soccer organizations employed the following safety
measures.3,4 Mouth Guards