Children can seem indestructible as they run full-force down the soccer or football field. In reality, however, their developing brains are at increased risk of serious sports-related injuries, such as concussions.
Concussions are brain injuries caused by forceful blows to the head or body that result in rapid movement of the head. While concussions can happen in any sport, they occur more often in collisions sports, such as football, rugby or ice hockey. In fact, they represent an estimated 9% of all high school athletic injuries.
If your child or teen takes a hard bump to her/his head, watch for symptoms of a concussion: headache, loss of consciousness (though this symptom is rare), confusion, dizziness, nausea, blurry visions, mental fogginess, sensitivity to light and/or noise, and mood changes. Your child may not exhibit all of these symptoms, and the symptoms may not appear until hours after the injury. Continue to monitor your child after a head bump and ask her questions about how she is feeling.
Young athletes are more susceptible to the effects of concussions because their brains are still developing. Research shows that athletes with two or more concussions have lower high school grade-point averages. In addition, tragic football head injuries are three times more likely to occur in high school athletes than in college athletes.
For this reason, a young athlete with a concussion should be seen by a health care professional. A doctor can confirm the diagnosis and decide when it is OK for the athlete to return to play.
The No. 1 treatment for a concussion is rest of both the body and mind for about a week or until all symptoms are gone. Doing homework, playing video games and even watching TV may worsen symptoms.
To prevent sports-related injuries, such as concussions, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
making sure youths wear proper athletic gear, such as helmets and mouth guards;
encouraging them to follow the rules of their sport;
teaching them to tell a parent or coach when they hit their head; and
explaining that it does not show courage to play when injured.
© 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics. This Parent Plus may be freely copied and distributed with proper attribution.
