Warning to Parents and Coaches

Now that the beginning of the school athletic season is approaching, parents and coaches should be on the lookout for signs of mild head injury, warns William Barr, PhD. According to Dr. Barr, a neuropsychologist at LIJ, concussions that are improperly identified or treated can result in permanent brain damage or death.

"Parents must be vigilant about kids' sports injuries, especially among football and hockey players," said Dr. Barr. "Here's the typical scenario: A youngster suffers a concussion during a game. He may appear confused, dizzy or disoriented. He is urged to sit the next game out but he is so determined that parents or teachers relent. Should he sustain another head injury before the first one is healed, he could suffer from a potentially fatal condition known as 'second impact syndrome', a severe swelling of the brain."

Dr. Barr said the warning applies to children engaged in all potentially dangerous sports. "We urge parents to enforce the use of helmets, especially in very young children," he said, "For older students, this warning is not restricted to football and hockey, but to all contact sports."

Concussion is defined as an alteration in mental status resulting from head trauma that may or may not involve loss of consciousness. "This is important to remember," urges Dr. Barr. "Many people believe that concussion is marked by being 'knocked out'. This is not true. You can remain conscious after a severe blow to the head and still have suffered a concussion."

Early symptoms of a concussion are:

dizziness
disorientation
delayed response
inability to focus
a lack of coordination
slurred speech

Persistent symptoms, which may begin a few days or weeks after the injury, may include sleep disturbance, headaches, anxiety, depression and/or loss of memory. "That's why it's so important to catch this injury in young people," said Dr. Barr. "Inability to concentrate coupled with depression will have a devastating effect on school age children."

What should parents do when a child suffers mild head injury? "First, see a neurologist to determine whether the child is medically stable or in need of any immediate form of treatment," advises Dr. Barr. "If symptoms persist, we recommend the child be brought to a neuropsychologist for a battery of memory and cognitive testing. Neuropsychological disorders of this type typically can't be detected through ordinary brain scans and often require additional testing," he noted.