Studies Show Parents Need to Learn More about Concussions

Two studies recently presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) annual meeting in San Diego point to the need for parents to learn more about concussions in order to ensure that their children get needed treatment for this serious form of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

For example, in one study, about half of the 511 parents surveyed did not know that a concussion was a type of brain injury that could produce headaches or problems with concentration, according to a report by HealthDay News.

Even though 92 percent of the parents knew to take their child to a doctor and keep the child out of sports after a suspected concussion, only 26 percent knew there were guidelines to follow before a child could go back to playing sports and doing school work.

According to the researchers, the study’s results underscore the importance of parents taking their child to see a doctor shortly after a head injury.

The visit can not only confirm a concussion diagnosis but also give the doctor the opportunity to discuss guidelines about returning to play and school work – which in turn reduces the child’s risk of suffering a repeat concussion (or second-impact syndrome), HealthDay reports.

In the other study, a total of 214 parents in two groups – parents of children with musculoskeletal or head injuries, and parents of private school students – were surveyed about their understanding of concussions.

The survey results indicated that parents in both groups mistakenly believed:

• CT scans and MRIs could be used to diagnose concussions
• Reduced breathing rate and speaking difficulty were concussion symptoms.

A researcher said the survey shows the need for parents to learn more about how to identify and evaluate concussions, according to HealthDay.

Neither study has been published yet in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Our Commitment to Concussion Education

Concussions may impact children who have been involved in falls or motor vehicle accidents. They also commonly result from sports and recreation-related activities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 174,000 children ages 19 and younger are treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year for traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, which were suffered while playing sports or engaging in recreation.

The activities associated with the highest number of TBI-related ER visits are biking, playground activities, football, soccer and basketball, the CDC reports.

At Geoff McDonald & Associates, we believe that these two new studies presented at the AAP meeting raise important issues.

This is why we recently launched our series, “Play It Safe, Play It Smart.” You can see our first infographic in the series here.

We strongly believe that it is crucial for parents and children alike to learn more about concussions, including how to prevent, recognize and properly deal with them when they arise in the sports and recreation context.

We also have compiled extensive information about brain injuries elsewhere on our website, including information about the types of treatment and costs of TBIs.

Please review our information and contact us if you believe that you or a loved one has suffered a concussion or other form of TBI due to the negligence of another person.