While other sports like football have received ample attention when it comes to the potential for serious head injuries in young athletes, there are also risks specific to cheerleading's demands.A 2012 rule change banned the "double down" twisting dismount in cheerleading stunts performed in high school and lower-level grades.From 2004 to 2012, concussions or closed head injuries per 100,000 cheerleaders trended upward (P=0.0003), with these injuries significantly decreasing in trend after 2012 (P=0.002).
Head injuries among cheerleaders declined after a 2012 rule change that banned the "double down" twisting dismount in stunts performed in high school and lower-level grades, a study showed.
From 2004 to 2012, concussions or closed head injuries per 100,000 cheerleaders trended upward (P=0.0003), with these injuries significantly decreasing in trend after 2012 (P=0.002), reported Audrey Litvak, MD, an orthopedic surgery resident at Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues in Pediatrics.
Stunting and teammate collision as a mechanism of injury also trended upward prior to 2012 (P=0.0003 and P=0.0005, respectively), then either stabilized (P=0.12) or decreased in trend (P=0.003).
