Cheerleading causes two thirds of the very serious sports injuries suffered by girls in the United States and many concussions are not reported, according to a new study.
At the college level, cheerleading, or
"competitive cheer," caused more than 70 per cent of the catastrophic
injuries among females.
Researchers found that the number of visits to casualty resulting from high
school and college cheerleading injuries rose from 4,954 in 1980 to 26,786
in 2007.
The sport accounted for around 66 per cent of "catastrophic"
injuries – those resulting in permanent disability or medical conditions –
to girls, research published in the Journal of Pediatrics said.
At the college level, cheerleading, or "competitive cheer," caused
more than 70 per cent of the catastrophic injuries among females.
There were a total of 110 head and spine injuries resulting in "permanent
brain injury, paralysis or death" over the last three decades. Other
injuries included heart problems and heat stroke An estimated 3.6 million
people take part in cheerleading in the US
and four per cent of those are boys.
The study analysed a group of girls with head injuries and found that some may
have failed to report symptoms of concussion.
