@article{ref1,
title="Assessing the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on pediatric baseball and basketball-related craniofacial and neck injuries treated in United States emergency departments, 2003-2022",
journal="PLoS one",
year="2024",
author="Wiener, R. Constance and Lundstrom, Eric W.",
volume="19",
number="4",
pages="e0302232-e0302232",
abstract="BACKGROUND: A large proportion of United States (U.S.) youth play basketball, baseball, softball, or T-ball. Each of the activities poses a documented risk of craniofacial and neck injuries. However, few studies have assessed the national prevalence of pediatric craniofacial and neck injuries in this population, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. <br><br>METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) dataset was used to identify pediatric craniofacial and neck injuries associated with basketball, baseball, softball, or T-ball from 2003-2022 in a cross-sectional study. The annual number of injuries before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was used to estimate the pandemic's impact on the monthly number of injuries incurred nationally. <br><br>RESULTS: Both overall and stratified by sport involvement, the annual number and rate of injuries identified in NEISS decreased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic. ITSA demonstrated that the monthly number of injuries decreased -4094.4 (95% CI = -5100, -3088.7) immediately after the beginning of the pandemic. The number of injuries began increasing towards pre-pandemic levels at a rate of 110.6 (95% CI = 64, 157.2) injuries per month after the initial plunge. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Prior to the-pandemic, there was a steady decline in craniofacial and neck injuries due to basketball, baseball, softball and T-ball among children, aged <18 years. The shutdown during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a precipitous drop in such injuries. Current rates are approaching pre-pandemic levels and may exceed them. Continued efforts are needed to keep the pre-pandemic progress.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1932-6203",
doi="10.1371/journal.pone.0302232",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302232"
}