Experts suggest adults should know the signs of concussions to keep kids safe

It can be something as simple as falling off a bicycle or as forceful as slamming to the ice during a hockey game.

But both incidents could result in what the American Academy of Pediatrics has termed "a silent epidemic" among children — concussions.


Recent data from hospital emergency rooms across the country revealed that:

•  Roughly half a million ER visits for concussions occurred among 8- to 19-year-olds.
•  About half were sports-related and 40 percent of the sports-related concussions involved children between the ages of 8 and 13.
•  Football and ice hockey were the organized sports with the most concussion injuries, while bicycling, skiing and playground activities accounted for most concussions occurring from non-team-related activities.
• Statistics show that the number of young children treated for concussions has doubled in just a decade — which is the reason why pediatricians are tackling the problem head on.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most young people don't recognize their symptoms as a concussion, so parents, caregivers, teachers and coaches should be educated on how to identify and respond to a possible head injury, which is the first critical step in care and recovery.

Concussions are mild to severe traumatic brain injuries that might occur when someone is struck in the head, causing the brain to shake or shift within the skull.

Until recently, many in the medical profession thought that children could shake off concussions after a few days or weeks, suffering only short-term symptoms, such as headaches and listlessness.

But according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young children and teens are more prone to concussions and take longer to recover than adults.

Multiple concussions are even more dangerous, causing potentially catastrophic brain damage.

The most common causes of concussions among children are activities that can result in a bump, blow or jolt to the head, said Gordon Braun, physician assistant with Antrim Family & Walk-in Care, an affiliate of Summit Health in Greencastle, Pa. This includes sports or riding in motor vehicles and on bicycles, motorcycles and ATVs.

Concussions also can occur from falls or blows to the body that cause the head and brain to move back and forth rapidly, he said.

At one time, concussions were graded from mild to severe. Today, Braun said, grading is falling out of favor.

"However, the symptoms of mild concussions will typically resolve within one month," he said.

Symptoms of concussions generally fall into four categories, Braun noted:

•  Thinking — trouble thinking clearly, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering new things
•  Physical — headache, blurry vision, nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to light or noise, trouble with balance
•  Emotional —  sad, nervous, anxious, more emotional, irritable
•  Sleep — sleeping more or less than usual or trouble falling asleep

Signs of a concussion can be subtle, says the American Academy of Pediatrics, so be aware of anything out the norm after an injury.

Your child might be at higher risk of having a more serious head injury if he or she has had a previous concussion, has a bleeding disorder, is less than a year old and has other neurologic problems, according to the Academy.