



Hockey body checking bans reduce concussions in players under 13

Limiting contact in youth tackle football results in fewer head impacts.

"Parents worry, 'Is one concussion to my child going to result in him having dementia at age 50?'" said lead author, Dr. Frederick Rivara. "And the data are pretty clear that the answer is no."

But it remains uncertain how many concussions are too many, when to call it quits, and what are the long-term consequences of multiple concussions in youth sports. Still, parents shouldn't let the unknowns and undue fears keep kids from playing sports, he said.

"The last thing we want to tell kids is not to be active," said Rivara, a pediatrician and injury prevention researcher at the University of Washington's medical school.

The panel's consensus statement was published online Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Among the conclusions:





Helmets should be worn in high-impact sports though there's little or no evidence that headgear prevents concussion in rugby and soccer.


More awareness of the potential dangers of concussions has led to more reporting but there's no evidence that there has been a true increase, said Dr. Cynthia LaBella, a panel member from Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital.
