When it comes to head impact in youth football, it is not just concussion that affects the brain. In a new study, researchers identified white matter changes in the brains of children after just a single season of playing football, even in the absence of a concussion diagnosis.
It is estimated that around 30 million children and adolescents in the United States take part in some form of sports.
While such participation has clear health benefits, the risks cannot be overlooked; each year in the U.S., more than 3.5 million injuries are incurred through youth sports, with the majority occurring in contact sports - such as football.
Among the most serious injuries are those to the head; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2009, almost 250,000 children and adolescents were admitted to emergency departments as a result of sports-related injuries that involved traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion.
