| ■ Young Cyclists at Risk for Head and Neck Injuries: Report | 06.12.26 |
| During 2002-04, head and neck injuries accounted for almost two-thirds of 1,035 visits to emergency departments in Wisconsin for treatment of bicycle- and tricycle-related injuries to children younger than age 6, says a report in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Most of the injuries, which included riders and passengers, did not involve motor vehicles. The emergency room charges associated with these injuries were more than $650,000. Boys were injured more often than girls, and most of these kinds of injuries occurred between April through September. Previous studies have shown that helmets reduce the risk of cycling-related head injuries. Parents who buy bicycles or tricycles for their children should also buy a helmet for their youngsters, the report authors said. MMWR is published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |