U.S. youth baseball injuries have dropped

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 27 (UPI) -- The number of children and adolescents treated for baseball-related injuries in hospitals decreased 25 percent from 1994-2006, U.S. researchers say.

Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital said the number of youth baseball injured dropped from an estimated 147,000 injuries in 1994 to about 111,000 injuries in 2006.

More than 19 million children and adolescents who play each year as part of a team or in backyards throughout the United States, the researchers said.

The study, published online ahead of print of the June issue of Pediatrics, found 46 percent of the injuries were caused by being hit but a baseball and 25 percent were injured from being hit by a bat.

The most common types of injuries were soft tissue injuries followed by fractures and dislocations.

One possible reason for the decrease in injuries may be the greater use of protective equipment, the researchers said.

"Safety equipment such as age-appropriate breakaway bases, helmets with properly-fitted face shields, mouth guards and reduced-impact safety baseballs have all been shown to reduce injuries," Dr. Gary Smith, director of the center and co-author of the study, said in a statement.