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Youth Baseball -- A "Safe" Call

Researchers evaluated equipment for making a safe sport even safer.

Millions of young people participate in organized baseball each year. Concern about injury to these youngsters has led to widespread use of protective equipment. Researchers analyzed information from 3 national databases to determine the efficacy of safety balls and faceguards for youths aged 5 to 18 years during the 1997-1999 Little League seasons.

Injuries related to being struck by a ball accounted for 45% of all injuries. There were 28.02 absolute injury claims per 100,000 player-seasons for ball-related injuries. Reduced-impact balls, tennis balls, rubber balls, and cloth balls reduced the number of injuries, but compared with traditional balls, reduced-impact balls were the only type that significantly lowered the risk for injury. This safety effect was present regardless of playing position or whether the balls were hit, thrown, or pitched. The benefit was higher in the minor divisions than in the more advanced leagues. Facial injuries while at bat or running bases accounted for only 4% of all injuries -- 2.71 absolute injury claims per 100,000 player-seasons. Faceguards of metal mesh and clear plastic protective visors reduced the risk for facial injury in all divisions and were effective while batting and running bases.

Comment: This interesting and powerful study demonstrates that baseball is generally a safe sport; the use of safety balls reduces the number of ball-related injuries, and the use of faceguards while batting and running bases reduces the number of facial injuries. Whether reduced-impact balls will be acceptable to those interested in maintaining a high level of athletic performance remains to be seen, but the frequency of injuries caused by hard balls suggests that priority should be given to promoting safety.

— F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Published in Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine February 24, 2003

Citation(s):

Marshall SW et al. Evaluation of safety balls and faceguards for prevention of injuries in youth baseball. JAMA 2003 Feb 5; 289:568-74.

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