Approximately 20 percent of children participating in sports activities are injured each year, and one in four injuries is considered serious. Children who are less developed than a more mature child of the same age and weight are at increased risk for injury. Sports-related injury severity increases with age. Before puberty, girls and boys suffer the same risk of sports injuries. During puberty, boys suffer more injuries more severely than girls.
Girls are at higher risk for rollerskating and gymnastics injuries.
Children who are just beginning a sport or activity are at greater risk for injury. Baseball also has the highest fatality rate among sports for children ages 5 to 14, with three to four children dying from baseball injuries each year. In 1998, more than 159,000 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for football-related injuries. In 1998, nearly 25,500 children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for gymnastics-related injuries. Among girls sports, gymnastics has one of the highest injury rates, increasing with the level of competition.