Thaindian News

Aug 31 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Two studies done by ‘The American Academy of Pediatrics’ which were released today show that the number of concussions which are suffered by children while participating in sports is rising a great deal.

In one study, it was shown that between the years of 1997 and 2007, visits to the emergency room by kids from 8 to 13 years old, to be treated for concussions had doubled over the time, and during the same time period, concussions for those between 14 and 19 years old had risen a very dramatic 200 percent.

The ‘CBS News’ Medical Correspondent by the name of Dr Jennifer Ashton stated that there are a few reasons for the number of concussions rising. “First of all, there are more children and teenagers involved in organized sports,” she stated. “The sports tend to be more intense in terms of practice and competition. Obviously, our awareness about concussion and brain injury has definitely increased.”

Ashton also gave a few little known facts about concussions, such as girls surprisingly have them more often than boys. She also stated, “You don’t need to lose consciousness to have a brain injury. Also, imaging like CAT scans are typically normal. You need to be aware of symptoms. Headache is number one symptom after a concussion. You can see sleep disturbances very common, mood changes. The kid might be very moody, (and have) difficulty concentrating. And problems with memory. All of these can mimic depression, anxiety, attention deficit, and everyone needs to be aware of them.”

Football has the highest rate of concussions and traumatic brain injury. ice hockey, soccer, and lacrosse follow closely behind. The brains of these children are most vulnerable for 7 to 10 days after an injury. Just because a child who has hit their head feels fine, does not mean that they are.