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Incidence and severity of paediatric sledding injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Domenic F Alaimo1, Nishita T Sharif1, Redjana Carciumaru2

  • 1Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Paediatrics & Child Health
|July 2, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Sledding injuries in children significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more paediatric emergency department visits. Understanding these injury trends can improve prevention strategies during future public health crises.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Public Health
  • Injury Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to shifts in recreational activities and potential increases in certain injury types.
  • Sledding is a common winter activity for children, carrying inherent risks of injury.
  • Paediatric emergency departments (PEDs) serve as key sites for tracking acute injuries in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and characteristics of sledding injuries in children.
  • To compare sledding injury trends before and during the pandemic.
  • To inform injury prevention strategies during public health emergencies.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive, retrospective cohort study was conducted.
  • Data from children (0-17 years) presenting with sledding injuries to a tertiary care PED were analyzed.
  • Injuries before (pre-March 11, 2020) and during the pandemic were compared for monthly visit counts, demographics, injury types, and outcomes.

Main Results:

  • A total of 243 sledding injury visits were analyzed, with a significant increase observed during the pandemic years (2021-2022) compared to pre-pandemic years (2018-2019).
  • The number of visits increased from 44 in pre-pandemic years to 169 in pandemic years.
  • Head injuries and sprains/strains were the most common injury types; no significant differences in demographics or injury characteristics were found between the periods.

Conclusions:

  • There was a statistically significant rise in paediatric emergency department visits for sledding injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Epidemiological surveillance of sledding injuries is crucial for developing targeted prevention efforts.
  • Findings support enhanced communication of injury prevention recommendations during future infectious disease outbreaks.
Abstract

Keywords:
Accident preventionCOVID-19 pandemicEmergency department visitsPaediatric emergency medicineSledding

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