Kids + Sports = Risk for Concussion

Being on the alert for symptoms can be key to preventing brain damage

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

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FRIDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Your child takes a hard hit during a football game. Or a nasty fall caused by a failed cheerleading stunt.

The youngster gets right back up but stumbles around a bit and seems to be only dimly aware of his or her surroundings. A worried teammate tries to converse, but you can tell from the sidelines that your child is having a hard time understanding what's being said and appears sluggish, dazed and confused.

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Chances are that the child sustained a concussion. And if parents and coaches don't know how to recognize the signs and pursue prompt treatment, the child could be at increased risk for a severe brain injury, with lifelong consequences.

"If a concussion goes undiagnosed, it can increase the risk of re-injury," explained Dr. Paul Gubanich, an orthopedic specialist in the Center for Sports Health and the orthopedic surgery department at the Cleveland Clinic. "We know repeated head injuries can lead to chronic changes in the brain. Athletes who go back to play before they are fully recovered are at risk for having worse symptoms and more prolonged injuries."

A concussion occurs when the brain sloshes around inside the skull because of a blow to the head. The brain is cushioned against minor head trauma -- think a slight bump on the noggin -- by spinal fluid that surrounds it inside the skull. But a heavy impact can actually cause the brain to smack into the bone of the skull, causing bruising of the brain, torn blood vessels and nerve damage.

Because they are still developing, children and teens are more likely to have a concussion than adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also takes youngsters much longer to recuperate.

Each year, emergency rooms in the United States treat an estimated 135,000 youths 5 to 18 years old for sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries, according to the CDC. Concussion causes the vast majority of those injuries.

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