Boxing can can cause children to suffer long-term damage

Children who box can suffer long-term damage or death from head injuries, especially concussions, so in a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics is saying the sport is not appropriate for children or teens.
Researchers from the AAP and the Canadian Paediatric Society reviewed the literature and found that a child's brain is more vulnerable to concussions than an adult's brain. Further, a child's brain can take longer to heal, and resulting memory impairment can make learning more difficult.

The two groups published the paper today (Aug. 29) in the journal Pediatrics. The paper reinforces an earlier position from the AAP, and echoes concerns about boxing from groups such as the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association.

While other sports such as football and ice hockey have higher injury rates in general, boxers "are actually rewarded for deliberate hits to the head and face," said study co-author Laura Purcell, a pediatric sport medicine physician at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. "We needed to take a strong stand against boxing in youth athletes because of the risk of head injuries."

Indeed, studies of amateur and professional boxers show that more than 70 percent of boxing injuries were to the head.

Further, concussions accounted for one- third to one-half of injuries in amateur boxers, and 13 percent of matches ended because of concussions, Purcell said.

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