Skating Shoe Safety: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

Roller shoes are one of those must-have items for kids. But a new study says watch out when you pop back on the skates and roll. The shoes can be hazardous. "Heelys and Street Glider Injuries : a New Type of Pediatric Injury" shows girls 6 to 14 are five times more likely to get hurt on them then boys.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD, Pediatrician
The one thing we worry about the most, is head injuries. Especially with heelies, you can fall backward easily and hit your head and end up with stitches or staples in the back of your head. As well as more traumatic brain injury.

Other injuries doctors worry about, are to the arm, shoulder, and wrist. It's all tied in with learning to use the skating shoes, and the falls that come along with practicing.

Dr. Joe Matusic
They're falling on an out, a wrist that's put out and they're injuring their wrist right here. The rollerblade gear you've seen has a wrist guard, and it's got a piece of plastic here so they don't bend it and break it.

So protective gear is a must. The study shows most of the injuries happened while the child was learning to use the shoes. Dr. Matusic says of all the roller-type toys out there, the roller-shoes may be the safest because when kids are on them, they're not picking up as much momentum as they do with the scooters, roller-blades and skateboards, and the injuries are generally far less serious.