A study recently released by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and published on September 30th in the journal, Pediatrics; researchers discovered a 92 percent increase in pediatric visits to hospital emergency rooms for sports-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) over the ten year period from 2002 through 2011.
Youth Football Leagues see Increased Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness
Despite the increase in the frequency of hospital visits, the “injury severity scores” were consistently lower and the number of kids and student athletes admitted to the hospital remained the same. Study author Dr. Holly Hanson, a pediatric emergency room fellow at Cincinnati Children’s, explained how these findings demonstrate a higher level of concern and awareness among parents and coaches when it comes to sports-related head injury, which is a step in the right direction in protecting children from traumatic brain injury through early recognition. Hanson also said:
“In general, the children have had a real injury, and the family is responding appropriately.”
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than a 500,000 emergency room visits annually for traumatic brain injury in children. Sports-related head injury is a significant contributor to these visits.
The most common youth sport causing TBI was football, which will come as little surprise to the public given the NFL’s recent settlement with former players. Dr. Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon and sports-related head injury expert, said the results provide hard evidence for what has been seen anecdotally.
Research continues on different analytic factors of the physics of sports-related impacts, athlete risk factors, long-term effects, and appropriate return-to-play timelines.
Recognizing to TBI in Youth – Doctors’ Input
Parents and coaches of kids in competitive league play are urged to work together to treat all potential head injuries seriously. All kids involved in sports are at risk for a potential head injury. The highest risk sports, by sex and rates of TBI per 100,000 players, are:
- Football: 64 -76.8
- Boys’ ice hockey: 54
- Girls’ soccer: 33
- Boys’ lacrosse: 40 – 46.6
- Girls’ lacrosse: 31 – 35
- Boys’ soccer: 19 – 19.2
There are a few important tips parents and coaches should follow closely when it comes to a suspected sports-related concussion, according to the CDC and doctors:
- Remove the child from play immediately;
- Go to the emergency room if the child experiences any of the following:
- loss of consciousness
- decrease in alertness
- seizure
- persistent vomiting
- change in behavior / impaired speech
- worsening headache
- any worsening change that raises concern
- Visit your child’s pediatrician if there are any lingering or delayed symptoms following the injury, which can include headache, emotional changes, difficulty sleeping, other thinking or behavior changes, or any change that has raised concern;
- Do not allow your child to return to play or practice until a physician evaluates him/her for head injury and clears the child for play.
References:
US News
