Bicycle helmet use should help prevent serious head injury in children

By Helen Albert, Senior medwireNews Reporter

Research published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics suggests that wearing a cycling helmet offers a child significant protection against serious impact and crushing head injuries.

Tobias Mattei (University of Illinois, USA) and colleagues tested how human skulls from cadavers stood up to forces applied to simulate an impact injury, or a rarer direct compressive force injury both uncovered and protected by a cycling helmet.

"The results we obtained in our study provide strong scientific evidence for the sometimes-neglected common-sense belief that bicycle helmets significantly increase children's safety," commented Mattei in a press statement.

"As neurosurgeons, we are sometimes able to lessen the deleterious life-lasting effects of traumatic brain injuries that may occur in bicycle accidents. However, there is no doubt that the best strategy is still prevention, which in this case may be accomplished cheaply and simply by regular helmet use."

The researchers used a monorail-guided free-fall impact apparatus to test the effects of different amounts of force on the covered and uncovered skulls dropped from a height of 6 to 48 inches (15.2 to 121.9 cm) onto a flat steel anvil. The skulls were from 8 to 10-year-old children and were soaked in water before use to provide the most accurate possible representation of a child's head.

The skulls were dropped from 6 inches to progressively higher heights until fracture was sustained with the unhelmeted skull.

Maximum resultant acceleration was tested on covered and uncovered skulls using attached accelerometers. Mattei and team found that protection with a helmet reduced the mean maximum resultant acceleration experienced on the introduction of an impact force after a fall of 6 to 48 inches by 87% over no protection.

Helmeted and unhelmeted skulls were also subjected to compressive forces in progressively larger amounts. The researchers found that helmeted skulls could withstand up to 470 pounds (approximately 230 kgf) of compressive force, whereas uncovered skulls and helmets alone failed compressive testing.

Mattei concluded: "Parents must be aware that it is their responsibility to provide and assure that all available safety measures are taken when allowing their children to participate in any kind of social activity or sport. Bicycling is not different! Parents should teach by example, and their children will easily learn what measures must be taken to protect themselves."

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