Sports Related Concussions - Helpful Information for Parents and Coaches

The number of children playing sports who have suffered from concussions has doubled in the last decade. It is thought that the reason for this may be that children are bigger than they once were and sports, even for young people, has become more competitive. As a result, it is even more important for parents and coaches to be aware of what to look for to avoid future problems.

Concussions in young children can create serious health risks from temporary memory lapses to brain swelling. It is especially a concern because concussions in children may not be recognized or noticeable immediately following an injury.

A second concussion before complete healing of the first has taken place can cause a condition known as second impact syndrome. The results of this are children run a risk of developing post-concussion syndrome.

Even a mild bump can cause a concussion in a young child. A child (or anyone for that matter) can suffer a concussion without losing consciousness and, in fact, fewer than ten percent do. And unfortunately, concussions can not be identified on Xrays or CT scans. They can be the result of not only a knock to the head but the sudden jarring to any part of the body which causes the brain to move suddenly within the skull. Also, it's important for all those involved to remember that the effects of multiple concussions can be cumulative.

The symptoms of a concussion are:

- A headache or feeling of pressure in the head; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; blurred vision; sensitivity to light or noise; a feeling of being dazed; irritability; memory or attention problems; confusion; ringing in the ears; slurred speech or mood changes.

- With younger children, the signs may be stomach pain or a feeling of being upset.

If any of these signs are evident, it is important to immediately seek medical attention. These symptoms can last for seven to ten days and possibly even longer depending on the severity of the hit, if there has been a previous concussion and if there was, if it was very long ago.

Rest is the most important treatment for a concussion. Rest means no physical activity and no mental exertion which includes no school, no computer games and even no television. Children should not attempt to return to play sports until they have been given the go ahead by their doctor.

The Canadian Paediatric Society published a statement on sports related concussions in children making recommendations based on current data and expert opinion, with guidelines on concussion management. They believe that it should be based on each athlete's symptoms and recovery and that a graduated return to play should be followed. They recommend also that doctors be encouraged to be conservative when managing children and adolescents with sports related concussions.

There is more awareness now that a bump on the head may not just be a bump on the head, but a concussion. And more people now are aware that a concussion is in actual fact, a brain injury. So as parents and coaches, knowing this, means that we must be even more diligent with our children when they are playing sports.

How to Protect Our Youth Against Head Injuries and Concussions

How can we protect our children against concussions and head injuries? Common sense should tell us that we do all within our power to ensure that our children are protected from these injuries. It is important that parents and coaches remember and are aware that while children are young, their brains are still forming. Their vulnerability to concussions and head trauma is much greater than that of an adult because a child's head, for the first eight years of their lives, is disproportionately large for the rest of their body and their necks are weak.

Many doctors and neurosurgeons are calling for rule changes in many of the sports so that concussions can be eliminated. It is suggested that while helmets protect the skull, they don't protect the brain from slamming against the skull during a collision or a hit on the head. It's the brain being slammed that causes a concussion.

Tackle football is one of the sports at the top of the list that is putting young people at tisk although hockey and even soccer follow closely behind in the concussions experienced by young people. Sports has a lot to offer children but there must be a way to safeguard our young people. It is difficult to do because many children like the roughness of these sports as do many of the coaches and parents but it must be done if we are going to properly protect our children.

Little is known as yet, or at least not that has been officially verified, concerning the results of head hits received by a nine or ten year old child and how they will manifest in someone twenty-five or thirty or even fifty years old.

However, I can tell you what I have experienced. At sixteen years of age, I was involved in a car accident, receiving a concussion which knocked me out momentarily. I appeared not to have any symptoms except recurring headaches. However, I must point out that this was before concussions were considered as serious as they now know them to be. When I was thirty-five, I suffered my first mild seizure. I did not experience another one for some years when I again had another mild seizure. Several years later, while working in an extremely stressful work environment, I began experiencing seizures, still mild, but on a regular basis, sometimes as many as six a day. The result was that I was forced to leave this place of employment and went on medication. That was a few years ago and have been fortunate not to have experienced anymore seizures.

Now my concussion was a result of a car accident and therefore, unavoidable. But to let our children play sports that have the known likelihood of them receiving a concussion or other head trauma, to me seems irresponsible. Perhaps as parents and coaches, we can institute rules to protect them against this risk. I believe that if we don't do something, we are being negligent.

Some of the recommendations that have been suggested for children and young people are: touch football instead of tackle football; no heading the ball in soccer for young children and, no full body contact while playing hockey.

Our children are important to us and so their safety, for not only today, but also their safety for the future, must be of prime importance to us as parents and coaches.