A study was conducted at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, to determine the characteristics and severity of head and facial injuries to helmeted child cyclists, to determine whether the helmets contributed to the injuries, and to investigate other factors related to bicycle accidents. The patients included in the study were cyclists, who sought care in RCH's emergency department for a bicycle-related head injury, with or without other injuries, or were referred from another hospital. They were divided into two groups, depending on whether there was information available on whether they were wearing a helmet at the time; in the absence of such information, it was assumed that no helmet was worn. The sample consisted of 189 cyclists aged 5-14 years, of whom 34 wore helmets. 79% of the head injuries of the helmeted group were mild, and two thirds of the children in this group had facial injuries. A higher proportion of children in the helmeted group than in the non-helmeted group were involved in bicycle-car collisions, and at least 15% of the helmets were lost on impact. Although there was no evidence that helmets contributed to the injuries, the authors recommend that the design of a facial protector for a helmet and the improvement of the helmet's fastening device should be considered.
Abstract