Safety First

You want your child to become more active. However, sports and other physical activities come with a risk of injury. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your kids healthy and injury-free.

Medical Director of Sports Medicine for Young Athletes at The Children’s Hospital, K. Brooke Pengel, MD, offers the following guidelines for keeping your child in the game:

• Crosstrain. Have your child participate in more than one activity to avoid overuse injuries. Playing different sports emphasizes a variety of muscle groups and balances the exercise regimen for less risk of injury.
• Rest. If your child participates in sports— especially the same sport — every day after school and on weekends, she may experience fatigue and be at an increased risk for injury. Too much physical activity also can cause overuse injury. Young athletes need periods of rest to promote recovery. Designate at least one day a week to rest from intense physical exertion.
• Observe. Carefully monitor your child to ensure he isn’t trying to battle through an injury without seeking proper treatment. Inadequate recognition and treatment of athletic injury can make the problem worse.
• Examine. Certain injuries are worthy of a trip to the emergency room or your doctor’s office. If your child suffers a head injury, fracture or substantial cut, seek immediate medical attention. For many injuries, however, rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) will help to alleviate the problem. If your child isn’t feeling significantly better within hours, consider calling or visiting your physician.

To schedule an appointment with a sports medicine specialist at The Children’s Hospital, call (720) 777-3899.