Are you the parent of a child athlete?  If so, does the sport your child play involve a lot of contact?  Do you know everything you should when it comes to concussions?  A study on children’s health revealed that parents don’t know as much about concussions as they should.  Details of the study were reported by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Concussions have become a major concern of parents, coaches and lawmakers alike.  They have become such a big problem that new laws have been passed in several states that regulate playing sports after suffering one.

Study shows parents need to learn more about concussions.

A survey of parents with children ages 12 to 17 who play school sports revealed that about one-third of those parents don’t know about school concussion policies.  Another third don’t know about the dangers of repeat concussions.  Despite all that, parents are still supportive of several school requirements:

  • Athletes who’ve suffered a concussion must be evaluated and cleared by a doctor before returning to game play.
  • Education about concussion risks is required by coaches.
  • Mandatory periods of no sports participation must be done by athletes who suffer concussions (i.e. no games or practices).
  • Certified trainers are now required to be on-site for practices and games.

Research has shown that younger athletes are more likely to suffer concussions and other brain injuries than older ones.  Children who get a second concussion after suffering a first — or second impact syndrome — are also more vulnerable to long term brain damage.

Parents are aware about the pressure younger athletes have when it comes to playing with a brain injury.  An associate director of the poll wants to make sure parents play an active role if their child plays sports and sustains a concussion.

“Parent involvement in guarding against repeat concussions is critical,” she said.  “Most concussions do not result in loss of consciousness, and symptoms may not occur until several hours after the injury.  If young athletes are afraid of losing playing time, they may not be honest with the coach or trainer about their symptoms.”

Our brain injury lawyers in San Diego believe that’s where parents need to step in and make the call for the safety for their child.  If your son or daughter has the symptoms of a concussion (i.e. dizziness, headaches, confusion), get proper tests done so they can recover and have a full, prosperous playing career because precautionary steps were taken to protect their brains.

Call us now at 1-858-551-2090 for a FREE consultation with an experienced San Diego brain injury lawyer or click here to submit your case for a FREE online review.