Physical activity prescription for childhood cancer survivors.

Physical activity can play a vital role in the treatment and prevention of many of the long-term effects of childhood cancer and cancer therapy. Specifically, physical activity may attenuate the long-term risk for adverse cardiovascular effects, low bone density, obesity, and poor quality-of-life measures. Physicians caring for long-term survivors of cancer should be prepared to evaluate the survivor's risk for long-term effects and provide accurate advice regarding the prescription of physical activity for the management and prevention of these problems. Knowing when physical activity prescription can help mitigate the late effects of childhood cancer and cancer therapy, and the barriers to physical activity for survivors, will help physicians provide quality care to childhood cancer survivors.

Reducing injury risk from body checking in boys' youth ice hockey.

Ice hockey is an increasingly popular sport that allows intentional collision in the form of body checking for males but not for females. There is a two- to threefold increased risk of all injury, severe injury, and concussion related to body checking at all levels of boys' youth ice hockey. The American Academy of Pediatrics reinforces the importance of stringent enforcement of rules to protect player safety as well as educational interventions to decrease unsafe tactics. To promote ice hockey as a lifelong recreational pursuit for boys, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the expansion of nonchecking programs and the restriction of body checking to elite levels of boys' youth ice hockey, starting no earlier than 15 years of age.