PERSONAL HEALTH : Keeping Kids Off the Disabled List

While big-league baseball fans fret over traded players and those gone AWOL, parents of littler leaguers fear trips to the emergency room.

In fact, youth baseball and softball, played by nearly 5 million children 5 years to 14 years old, are relatively safe, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Only about 2% to 8% of players are injured each year, according to the academy’s Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness.

Most injuries are minor and involve the face or arms. Serious and chronically disabling injuries are rare, the academy said, and do not seem to be increasing.

Even so, there are about three deaths each year--most due to chest impact or head and neck injuries, according to statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

To increase safety, the academy has issued guidelines, suggesting:

* Players wear protective gear, such as batting helmets and rubber spikes.

* Catchers wear a catcher’s helmet, mask and chest and neck protectors.

* Players with a history of eye problems should wear eye protectors.

* Children younger than 10, generally not as skilled as older children, should be encouraged to use low-impact balls.

* Players younger than 10 should avoid head-first sliding.

* Players should get instruction in proper biomechanics to reduce the risk of throwing injuries.