Young Children and Sports Related Brain Injury

 

Last year, a friend of mine had a real concern. Her grandson, aged seven, was playing football at school and got injured. This was not just any injury, though. He suffered from a concussion that has left long lasting challenges both physical and mental. This one injury has changed his life completely. He can no longer attend school regularly nor play his beloved football.

Ironically, when the injury first occurred, it didn’t seem like a big deal. That is one of the issues with brain injury, things can become worse later.

You want to limit the risk factors for brain injury in children who play sports. There are precautions that you can take. Helmets are key for preventing sport related head and brain injuries. Make sure that the helmet fits correctly and is in good condition. Used helmets are not a good idea, unless you know for sure that the helmet is relatively new and has not been in an injury or suffered impact.

Typical sports that should require he use of a helmet include: hockey, football, biking, snowmobile, batting, skiing and skateboarding.

Whenever a child receives a head-related injury, you should seek medical attention. This could be a simple as a phone call to the doctor, as we did when our eldest son fell on the ice and bruised his cheek to a call to 911 if a child is unconscious or bleeding.

If a child is playing sports and suffers a head injury, he or she should be removed from the game immediately and evaluated.

Look for any neurological changes whether they occur immediately or are delayed. Symptoms of a mild brain injury include headaches, unconsciousness, blurred vision, dizziness, trouble remembering things, clumsiness and lack of coordination, vomiting and changes in behavior.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to brain injuries, and this issue is not one that should be taken lightly.

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March 26, 2011 • Tags: Injury • Posted in: Fitness Articles

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