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Is 5-Year-Old's 500 Push-Ups in 15 Minutes Child Abuse?

By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Dec 8th 2010 2:58PM
Filed under: Other Sports

Comments (17)

Bubba the Baby Man


Five-year-old boxing phenom Bubba the Baby Man (pictured) recently completed 500 push-ups, beating his already established record of 400.

The kindergartener, who is also an amateur boxer, completed the push-ups in a mere 15 minutes. Just in case there were naysayers who doubted the baby strongboy's ability, 2004 heavyweight Olympian boxer Jason "Big 6″ Estrada trains right alongside the wonder child at his local gym.

There are some who would rally around and glorify the feat of a small child getting in on the ground floor in order to one day become a champion in the sport.

But I beg to differ. I think the sport of amateur boxing involving young children is a form of child abuse.

While the excessive push-ups performed by "Bubba the Baby Man" has been lauded by viewers of YouTube everywhere, Dr. Ari Brown, a renowned pediatrician, spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and co-author of the best-selling book series "Baby 411," "Toddler 411" and (most recently) "Expecting 411" has this to say:

"Like ultra-marathon runners, the concern is the risk of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis where muscle injury and death leads to the release of the muscle components into the bloodstream. Some cases can be life-threatening because this can severely alter the body electrolyte balance and cause kidney failure.

"I'd also be concerned about overuse injuries and stress fractures if he is doing weight training as a 5-year-old. There is a reason why little leaguers have a pitch count and cannot exceed a certain number of throws a week. Growing bodies cannot handle that stress to bones, joints, and muscles."

As for boxing, the AAP opposes the sport of boxing for children, adolescents and young adults. As a matter of fact, the organization categorizes amateur boxing as a collision sport, because winning is based on the number and force of punches successfully landed on an opponent's head and/or body.

This deliberately exposes young boxing participants to potentially devastating neurologic and eye injuries. Despite these potential dangers, thousands of boys and girls continue to participate in amateur boxing.

Sure, anyone can argue that the sport of boxing teaches discipline and builds strength, agility and confidence, but at what cost? A major draw for countless inner-city youths, boxing is oftentimes a ticket out of the ghetto. Far too often, though, the thought of financial gain is placed on the front burner without regard for medical risks.

Dr. Brown adds:

"As more light is shed on head injury and concussions in the child athlete, I think there is real potential for life-long health consequences of having a boxing-related head injury at a young age."

If I were the parents of "Bubba the Baby Man" I would consult with a pediatrician with regards to what types of exercise regimens a child of five can actually undergo safely. And if the doctor red lights the boxing plans, then so be it, afterall, what is more important than the life of your child.

Watch Bubba the Baby Man do push-ups here:



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