Children deemed to be not at risk from ‘footballer’s migraine’


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Researchers from the University of North Carolina have been looking into the potentially detrimental effects of heading footballs for both adults and children.

It was over 40 years ago that fears first emerged regarding ‘footballer’s migraine’ and brain damage. Norweigan research, published in the 80s, seemed to bear out the link between the action of heading a ball and the development of serious brain damage.

However, Dr Donal Kirkendell, a professor of orthopaedics at the university, has now given the all clear - especially for children - saying, ’We’d say that purposeful heading of a ball is not something parents should be concerned about. In fact, parents under age 12 have little reason to be concerned because heading in children’s games tends to be a novelty, usually off a bounced or thrown ball and kids just can’t kick the ball that hard.’

Dr Kirkendell - whose report appeared in a recent issue of the Sports Medicine journal - attributes earlier fears to the fact that footballs used to be made of leather, saying, ‘Back then, this could have been a problem because, when the old leather ball got wet, it could become as much as 20% heavier.’ He also indicates that earlier research could have overlooked the impact of any drug or alcohol problems or existing head injuries.

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