Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Don't you know that it's different for girls?

The NY Times has a great article on gender differences in concussion rates. While we do not quite know why, girls get concussions at a higher rate than boys: (free subscription required)
"Doctors are also uncertain as to why documented rates of concussion among high school girls are consistently higher than among boys in the same sports. The primary theory is that girls might be more honest in reporting injuries — though experts are confident that many girls, just like boys, hide injuries either because they are not aware of the risks or because they simply do not want to miss playing time. Other rationales include the fact that girls’ neck muscles are less developed than boys’, providing less shock absorption during impact."

Regardless, parents, be aware with girls playing sports that are not considered "contact" sports (soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, etc)