• 01
  • September
    2011

Brain injuries can result from a number of different scenarios. Sometimes the injury is caused by a car accident; sometimes a slip-and-fall can lead to head trauma. Whatever the reason, a brain injury can be very serious and researchers are constantly trying to understand the different ways these types of injuries develop and how the brain recovers.

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics has informed its members and anyone listening that they believe boxing to be extremely dangerous for children. Participants in the sport, especially children, have a high risk of receiving a brain injury, according to the group.

Proponents of the sport believe that the sport has given many children purpose and direction and is much safer than other sports. But according to the report, boxing injuries have been on the rise for the past decade. In 1999, the number of boxing injuries was 11 out of 100,000 children. In 2007, that same number was 16 out of 100,000. According to several other studies, up to 52 percent of boxing injuries are concussions.

Concussions are very serious injuries. If untreated, they can lead to additional health problems or even death. One doctor that has spent a large amount of time studying boxing injuries said that a knockout, the goal for an opposing boxer, is essentially a brain concussion. Statistics show that roughly 20 percent of professional boxers suffer from a specific type of dementia later on in their lives brought on by multiple concussions.

No matter how the brain injury is sustained, anyone who receives a brain injury, especially at a young age, is put at risk for more health risks such as this later in life. If the injury was caused by someone else's negligence, the consequences for the victim can include expensive medical bills and long-term injury.

Source: MSNBC: "Youth boxing opposed by leading doctors," Frederik Joelving, Reuters, Aug. 29, 2011.