subject: Concussions in Children - Don't Take That Bang on Your Child's Head Lightly [print this page] Concussions in Children - Don't Take That Bang on Your Child's Head Lightly
Concussions are often looked upon as a natural part of childhood and growing up. Children are active, and knocks to the head in children are not always preventable with a helmet.
Kids jump on beds and hit their heads. Blunt, heavy objects fall off shelves, and end tables get in the way of a fall. At the playground, rocks are thrown and swings are swung for fun. It's easy for a child to run into a pole at the playground when they're racing away from their time to be "it." In both the US and Australia, falls and collisions are leading causes "traumatic brain injury," which includes both mild concussions and severe head injuries. Concussions in children have been greatly reduced with the increasing laws and regulations insisting upon helmets during activities such as bike-riding, roller-blading, scootering, and even horseback riding. The United States is catching up with Australia's advanced helmet laws that report a 51% reduction in hospital visits from cyclists due to its helmet laws for bike riders.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the US reports about 300,000 concussions are from sports alone. And in the US head injuries affect over a million children a year. A large Canadian National Population Health Survey even suggested that 89% of respondents suffered a concussion. These numbers that represent international head injuries are highly underestimated - as it is likely that thousands of head trauma injuries go unreported every year. The symptoms of concussions such as headaches, forgetfulness, and even depression, can be easily attributed to mood changes, too much homework, social issues, or the child's current environment. If you are a parent and your child is active in sports, or has already suffered a head injury, becoming aware of the signs and symptoms of a concussion in a child can help you recognize what are signs of a concussion, and what are merely signs of growing pains. Historically, speaking, parents have been told to "follow up with their physician" after a concussion, and thereafter only report back if symptoms of a concussion surface.
However, it was recently reported in the Annals of Surgery that children are at high risk of suffering a second concussion or prolonged symptoms after a first one has occurred if they return to play too soon. And now, top physicians are recommending that children do not return to regular activity until they are further examined for neurological deficiencies through a formal screening. Concussions in children that are not followed up on and formally assessed for neurological deficits can result in not only the susceptibility to prolonged symptoms, but there is also an increase in the chances of dying from a traumatic head injury in the future. Don't let your doctor take your child's concussion casually, and keep your child out of sports and activities until a formal evaluation of your child's cognitive ability and neurological well-being is conducted.
At the very least, don't push your child into sports and potentially head-harming physical activity until a reasonable recuperation period has passed. Take the time to rest your child's injured head even if they insist they feel better, and learn to recognize the signs and symptoms. The head and the brain are tough, and kids are tougher, but resting their heads now will keep them tough against a more damaging concussion in the future.
Katherine is a mother of two beautiful girls, a devoted student of personal development and a successful businesswoman in the direct sales industry. To find out more about how you can earn a great income, make friends for life, spend more time with your family, help people everyday and do this all while working from home, visit my website at Change Your Future Now
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