Boxing too risky for children, pediatricans say

(CBS) Youth boxing took a body blow from a leading pediatricians group, which on Monday issued an updated policy statement saying that children and teens shouldn't box.

The statement - issued by the American Academy of Pediatricians and published in the September issue of "Pediatrics" - says that even with the use of head guards, boxing puts kids at risk for facial injuries and concussions.

"We want children and teens to actively pursue sport and recreation, but boxing is not a good option," statement co-author Dr. Claire LeBlanc, said in a written statement. "We recommend young people participate in sports where the prime focus is not deliberate blows to the head."

Ouch. For fans and promoters of youth boxing, that hurts.

Currently, about 18,000 people under the age of 19 box in the U.S., HealthDay reported. How many of these pint-sized pugilists are injured? Good statistics are hard to come by, but between 1990 and 2008, boxing injuries occasioned an average of 8,716 emergency room visits per year, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Of these injuries, about 2,500 were to children and adolescents six to 17 years of age.

The pediatricians group singled out concussions as particularly worrisome, saying that kids' brains are more vulnerable to the negative consequences of concussion and that kids take longer to recover from concussions. It encouraged pediatricians to counsel their young patients against boxing.

But proponents of boxing counterpunched.

"I think it's a well-intended statement, but I don't think that it takes into consideration the realities of who mostly gets involved with boxing," Dr. Robert Cantu, a spokesman for USA Boxing's Medical Commission, told HealthDay. "These are people that don't have, for the most part, your local golf course, tennis or basketball court as an option. These are youngsters, often from deprived backgrounds, that flourish with direction and flourish with having individuals take an interest in them. They are far, far safer in the boxing ring than they are out on the street."

What do you think? Should kids be allowed to box? Or is it just too dangerous?