After analyzing data on 1.8 million donations from people of all ages from nine U.S. regions in 2006, lead researcher Dr. Anne Ed, with the American Red Cross in Washington, said the study found teen blood donors ages 16 and 17 are more likely than older ones to faint or have other complications.
Previous research had proved that donating blood is an extremely safe and easy experience for most people of all ages, but this new research suggests that teen donors are at greater risk for reactions.
The complications include light-headedness, loss of consciousness or bruising. Reactions occured in nearly 10.7 percent of donations by 16 and 17 year olds, 8.3 percent by 18 and 19 year olds and 2.8 percent by people age 20 and up, researchers wrote in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Although injuries related to fainting were uncommon (5.9 events per 10,000 blood donations), they were 2.5 times more likely among 16- and 17-year-old blood donors compared to 18- and 19-year-old donors and 14 times more likely than in donors 20 years and older, the study found.
"Although zero risk may not be attainable even in adults, the rate of complications in minors calls for ongoing attention to a sustained operational effort that is continually focused on donation safety," the authors concluded in a press release.
