A new study has found that the number of children injured in helmet-required activities rose during the pandemic. The pandemic brought a lot of challenges for families everywhere. Families were nervous about getting sick, or their loved ones getting sick. They also had to deal with virtual learning, which was a challenge for a lot of parents, children, and educators.
Parents also had to deal with children who got really bored due to being stuck inside. While options may have seemed limited, children were still encouraged to get outside and play. That this fresh air could help their physical health, and mental health, and it was considered safe during times of lockdowns and quarantine.
Now that time has passed, studies are being done to see all the impacts of the pandemic, and it goes well beyond how many caught the virus. According to Medical Xpress, a study was done that found that more children sustained injuries during the pandemic while they were playing sports that usually require a helmet.
This study was done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and it can be read in full here. Researchers found that there was a “significant” increase in pediatric injuries during the pandemic, and it was specifically while doing activities that would typically involve wearing a helmet.
This meant activities like bike riding, dirt biking, skateboarding, and even snow sports. The study found that most children who were injured sustained serious head injuries and that they were not wearing helmets when they were out having fun.
This reminds everyone of the importance of helmets, but it also leads to insight into why children were not wearing their helmets during this time specifically. To complete this study, researchers looked at data from two different pediatric trauma centers, and they found that helmet use was decreasing, and head injuries were going up.
The researcher stated that the reason why this went up during the pandemic was that there was a large disruption to the lives of families. Since children were spending more time outside and playing, there were more instances where injuries could happen. The exact increase was 37% between 2018 and 2020 from lack of helmet use, and this is a strong reminder for parents and children.
Helmets may not seem “cool,” but they are important for making sure children are safe when out playing, and that their heads are protected. These injuries could have all been prevented with the simple use of a helmet. To get your child more interested in wearing a helmet, take them to the store and let them pick out their own helmet.
Sources: Medical Xpress, Eureka Alert