Center for Disease Control Reports Increase in Traumatic Brain Injury Related to Youth Sports
Center for Disease Control Reports Increase in Traumatic Brain Injury Related to Youth Sports
The number of youth sports related traumatic brain injury has increased 60% in young athletes. The report by the Centers for Disease Control attributes the increase, in part, to greater public awareness.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from participation in sports and recreation activities have received increased public awareness, with many states and the federal government considering or implementing laws directing the response to suspected brain injury.
Fellow Brain Injury Blogger, Michael Kaplen, reports on traumatic brain injury issues in athletes regularly.
Bicycling, football, and playground activities account for greatest increase
Emergency department visits for sports– and recreation–related traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, among children and adolescents increased by 60 percent during the last decade, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC experts believe much of the increase occurred because more adults realized the youngsters needed to be seen by health care providers.
Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, rose from 153,375 in 2001 to 248,418 in 2009, said the analysis in CDC′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Bicycling, football, playground activities, basketball, and soccer were the primary sports involved, the study said.
If you have a child playing sports in school, check to see if the coach has basic understanding of Traumatic Brain Injury Protocol. Knowing when not to put your child back into play may be the difference between recovery and injury.
