Boys will be bloody

　　True to the stereotype,childhood bicyclling injurie s are most common in grade-school boys, according to re asearchers who found boys of all ages were much more li kely than girls to get hurt. Boys aged 5 through 14 wer e the most common victims, with an estimated 224,200 cy cling injuries each year, compared with about 93,000 fo r girls the same age, the report suggests.

　　The authors analyzed national data including a heal th statics survey of 600 hospital emergency departments from january 1992 through december 1997.

　　The data were weighted to produce a national estima te of about 2.1 million total injuries during the study period, based on reported cycling accidents for childre n aged 1 through 14. Nonfatal injuries were far more co mmon, with an average of about 1500 deaths over the six years.

　　Boyx in every age group were much more prone to inj ury, probably because they tend to develop the motor sk ills needed for cyling before gilrs, and tend to take m ore risks.

　　Most injuries occurred in falls from bicycles. Faci al trauma(损伤), arm and leg fiatures(骨折), and head traum a were the top three injuries.

　　Overall, an estimated 77,181 children were admitted to the hospital during the six year.

　　Though the data not indicate whether injured childr en were wearing helmets, the authors assumed many weren 't, given the frequency of face and head trauma. Since helmets can reduce the risk of both, the finding suppor t their use even in the youngest cyclists, the authors said.