Swedish medical professionals are issuing urgent warnings about head injury risks as a new survey reveals that 40% of parents allow their children to sled without helmets. According to an investigation by insurance company Trygg-Hansa, four out of ten parents report that their children do not wear helmets while sledding, despite the significant risk of head injuries.
Viktoria Bove, section chief of pediatric emergency care in Solna, emphasized the serious medical consequences. "If you hit your head hard, the brain shakes inside the skull," Bove told TV4. "When that happens, you can get small microscopic injuries in the brain, which can lead to concussion symptoms. In the worst case, you can get a skull fracture and a brain hemorrhage."
If you hit your head hard, the brain shakes inside the skull. When that happens, you can get small microscopic injuries in the brain, which can lead to concussion symptoms. In the worst case, you can get a skull fracture and a brain hemorrhage.
Bove noted that while helmet use has become standard in ski slopes, the same safety practice has not caught on in sledding hills. She explained that children are particularly vulnerable because they have larger and heavier heads relative to their bodies compared to adults, increasing their risk of skull injuries in accidents.
Despite there being no legal requirement for helmet use while sledding, doctors are urging parents to prioritize safety. "It's fantastic to go out with children and enjoy the snow and ice," Bove said. "But it's actually just as fun to sled with a helmet as without a helmet. So put on the helmet."
It's fantastic to go out with children and enjoy the snow and ice. But it's actually just as fun to sled with a helmet as without a helmet. So put on the helmet.
The warnings come as children across Sweden gather in sledding hills during the winter season, with the issue gaining attention ahead of the school sports break.