Soccer injuries are sending soaring numbers of U.S. kids to emergency rooms, a trend driven in part by young players with concussions seeking urgent medical care, a study found.
Nearly three million players aged seven through 17 received ER treatment for soccer-related injuries in the 2000-2014 study.
More than 200,000 concussions or head injuries were treated in emergency rooms, or seven percent of injuries.
The rate jumped to almost 30 per 10,000 people in 2013 from just under two per 10,000 players in 1990.
The findings partly reflect soccer’s growing popularity.
But the researchers and sports medicine experts believe the trend also is a result of greater awareness about concussions and their potential risks.