Bicycle-Related Injuries a Big Concern for Kids

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research reveals bicycle injuries are more common in children and adolescents than previously believed.

Researchers from Columbus Children’s Hospital in Ohio analyzed data from the 2003 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Kids’ Inpatient Database. They looked at hospitalization for bicycle-related injuries according to patient demographics, type of injury, total hospital charges, and length of hospital stay.

Results show bicycle-related injuries lead to nearly $200 million a year in hospital inpatient costs. Gray Smith, M.D., Dr.PH., from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, was quoted as saying, “Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile. The high rate of hospitalization and use of healthcare resources identified in our study supports the need for increased attention to bicycle-related injuries.”

Researchers report motor vehicles were involved in about 30 percent of bike-related hospitalizations, and the link with motor vehicles increased among older children. Researchers also found one-third of kids who landed in the hospital for a bicycle-related injury had a traumatic brain injury -- a statistic that could be lowered by consistent use of bike helmets. Dr. Smith reports, “The findings from our study can be used to promote targeted prevention strategies to lessen the severity of injury and the number of deaths resulting from pediatric bicycle-related injuries. We know that bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of brain injury by up to 85 percent. We need to increase efforts to promote helmet use by children riding bicycles.”

The current study reveals about 10,700 children are hospitalized for a bicycle-related injury each year. Statistics show children and adolescents age 20 and younger make up more than 50 percent of approximately 85 million bicycle riders in the United States.

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SOURCE: Injury Prevention 2007;13:316-321