‘Especially concerning’: New study links tobogganing with head injuries – CTV
February 03, 2026
Of all the injuries children can get when tobogganing, head injuries are by far the most common, prompting concerns from a Hamilton hospital.
In January, McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH) says several children were admitted after sledding into trees, which resulted in “significant trauma.”
“From toddlers to teens, kids are hurtling downhill on sleds wearing nothing but winter hats, leaving their heads unprotected if they crash or ram into an object, like a fence or tree,” the Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) study reads, noting how head injuries are the most commonly seen sledding-related injury in the MCH emergency department.
The study revealed most injuries happen when children fall or crash into objects, primarily resulting in broken bones, scrapes and bruises, or involving the head.
Head injuries are “especially concerning,” the study says, as they can result in long-lasting brain damage or cognitive difficulties.
“I mean, kids ski and snowboard, and it’s now just routine that helmets are expected, so I think the same thing should happen for sledding and tobogganing,” Dr. April Kam, the division head of pediatric emergency medicine at MCH, told CP24 on Tuesday afternoon.
