With the beginning of the school year comes sports season. Kids (and parents) are excited to get involved in football, baseball and hockey just to name a few. Kids sports are fun and teach kids about teamwork, comradery and healthy competition. But sports can also be dangerous if kids are not supervised or properly protected. In order to avoid head injuries, helmets are an important part of your child’s uniform. Helmets should fit properly and should be tailored for a particular sport (i.e. kids shouldn’t wear a football helmet while at bat.)
Doctors have found that a little “ding” to the head can actually be more damaging that you might think. And repeated head injuries can prove fatal. If your child suffers a head injury and shows no signs of a concussion for 20 minutes, they should sit out the rest of the game. If your child shows symptoms of a concussion, its important to seek medical attention immediately as slight symptoms now can manifest into something more severe later.
Symptoms of a concussion can include:
- headache
- blurred vision
- fatigue
- fogginess
- poor balance
- sleep disturbance
- nausea
- dizziness
- irritability
- sensitivity to noise or light
- memory problems
- inappropriate emotions
When in doubt, always seek the advice of a medical professional. Head injuries that seem fine can turn into something more critical very quickly.
Here are a few helpful resources to ensure that your kids are safe while playing sports:
- WebMD.com – Guarding Against Gridiron Concussion
- WebMD.com shares this helpful video about kids and sports concussions.
- John’s Hopkins Children’s Center – Hopkins Children’s Neurosurgeons Warn Not to Take Head Injuries in Sports Lightly
- U.S. News and World Report – Head Injury Can Be Hard to Spot, Especially in Kids
- KidsHealth.org – Five Ways to Avoid Sports Injuries
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