Brain Injuries May Be More Common with Nice Weather
Spring is here and nice weather means kids are going to be playing outside, which often means more injuries. Parents, watch out for those playground falls: A new CDC report states: children up to age 4 are part of the high risk population for traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as teenagers 15 to 19 and senior citizens 75 and up.
When a traumatic brain injury occurs, normal brain function is interrupted. It can be caused by any sudden blow or jolt to the brain. TBI is the cause of nearly a third of the injury-related deaths in the U.S. every year. In teenagers ages 15-19, the injury is usually caused by car accidents. Falling is the leading cause of TBI in senior citizens and young children.
Babies and toddlers are still developing their sense of balance, which is why they often fall. But as any parent will tell you, falling is a normal part of childhood. Most falls don’t cause such serious injuries, but being around stairs or furniture with a hard edge, or walking up an incline, could increase the risk.
So why should parents be concerned?
Speed is important when treating traumatic brain injuries. Most neurologists agree that there is a 60 to 90 minute window from the time the injury occured to the point tat treatment must begin. However, most Traumatic Brain Injuries are not immediately obvious making detecting them very difficult, especially in a young child.
Dr. Lisa McGuire of the CDC’s Injury Center says whenever a child suffers a blow to the head, parents should watch for the following symptoms: sudden drowsiness or inability to be alert, difficulty recognizing familiar people or places, sudden whining or irritability, loss of interest in favorite toys, numbness of one side of the body, vomiting, or neck pain.
Every second counts when someone has a TBI. Consult with a doctor immediately if you notice that your child has any of these symptoms.
“The main thing to always remember is that Traumatic Brain Injury is a major health problem,” says Dr. McGuire. ”
Traumatic brain injuries completely change someone’s life and turn their world upside down. So as the warm weather comes in and our kids go out, lets ensure that we are supervising the activities of our children. If your child does fall and hit their head, don’t hesitate to go to the Emergency Room if you think there is any possibility that they could have been injured for fear that you will look silly if nothing is wrong with your child or that you will have wasted time and money. Don’t forget that there is a 60 to 90 minute window from the time the injury occured to the point tat treatment must begin and it is better safe than sorry.
The Kansas City based personal injury attorneys at Roswold Law Group wants you to be informed about head and brain injuries. Sometimes what may seem like a minor injury such as a concussion can prove detrimental.
Volunteers Needed in Kansas City Area as Child Abuse and Neglect are at an all Time High
Court Appointed Special Advocates(CASA) officials say numbers of Child Abuse and neglect are up substantially. In fact, there are not enough CASA to help children through the system. In Johnson and Wyandotte counties, there are 1,200 victims a year who file and go through the system, but only 25 percent get a CASA worker. Across the state-line in Jackson County, volunteers are also needed.
Abuse in children is one of the leading causes of brain injury. A total of 30% of brain damages are caused by violent acts or being struck by or against objects.
Shaken baby syndrome led to approximately 1,200-1,400 child hospital visits in Kansas and Missouri, and all over the United States. Sadly, about 20-30% of those injured children suffered fatal injuries and the survivors will have to endure complications the rest of their life as a result of brain injuries sustained.
The Kansas City based brain injury attorneys at Roswold Law Group encourage you to support CASA however you can. We also encourage you to browse through our Missouri and Kansas brain injuries library, which contains informative articles about brain injuries, their impact, their causes, and more.
What is Life Like After Brain Injury?
The Brain Injury Association of Kansas offers two Survivor and Family seminars each year to provide information, and resources to help make daily life easier for those affected by brain injury.
For more information contact Kate Kershaw, 913-754-8883, ext.2
Traumatic Brain Injury Facts
A traumatic brain injury means a jolt or blow to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all such jolts or blows result in traumatic brain injury. Brain injuries range in severity from mild to severe. Mild TBI being a brief change in memory or conscious and severe being, a long period if amnesia and/or loss of consciousness after the injury. Traumatic injury can conclude in long or short term problems, depending on the accident.
1.4 million Americans have TBI.
Of these 1.4 million:
1.1 million are released from the hospital with mild cases
50,000 are fatal
235,000 are severe cases of TBI
Leading Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury
Falls Falls are the leading cause; Highest for children from birth to 4 years and adults from 75 years and up.Motor Vehicle Accidents Motor vehicle accidents lead to the largest number of TBI-related hospitalizations. The rate of motor vehicle-traffic-related TBI is highest among teenagers 15 to 19 years. Struck By/Against Struck by/against, which include colliding with a moving/non moving objects is the third leading cause of TBI. Approximately 1.6 – 3.8 million are sports and recreation related TBIs, which occur in the United States each year. A majority of these are mild TBIs, which are not treated in a hospital. |
Assaults
Firearms are the leading cause of death related to TBI.
9 out of 10 people with a firearm related TBI die.3
Blasts are a leading cause of TBI for active duty military soldiers in war zones.
Traumatic Brain Injury can cause a variety of changes in your daily functions such as thinking, communicating, learning, emotions, behavior and sensations. It can also lead to some long term diseases like Alzheimers disease, Epileptic seizures, Parkinsons disease and other brain injuries
Missouri Bill Seeks To Limit Risks of Concussions For Young Athletes
Concussions are a constant risk in sports, especially amongst student-athletes but procedures are being considered that could change that risk for young athletes in Missouri. Politicians are stepping up on this issue,and everyone seems to agree that something should be done.
In the past few months, the NFL and the NCAA are being watched carefully at the way they handle concussions such as the NFL’s approach with Kansas City Chief quarterback Trent Green, who suffered a trumatic brain injury.
A bill is being introduced in Missouri, which would require high school athletes who suffer a concussion to get a written release from a licensed concussion specialist before returning to practice or playing games.
Dr. Joe Wackerly, Kansas City Chiefs head-injury specialist, feels that is a step in the right direction.
The Bill would cover only high school athletes, but sponsor Don Galloway said he hopes to make it cover all levels of youth football.
For more information visit sportsmedicine.com.
Postconcussion syndrome is a common occurrence following a mild traumatic brain injury and symptoms can include irritability, headaches, dizziness, faulty memory, and more. Unfortunately, these symptoms may not show up immediately and may take weeks to present themselves.
If a young athlete returns to practice or a game too soon, he or she risks postconcussion syndrome. Sustaining a second concussion prior to allowing time for symptoms from the first concussion to heal may place an athlete at risk of a condition known as second impact syndrome in which the brain swells catastrophically and can have the potential to cause debilitating or fatal consequences.
Coaches, parents and even the athletes themselves need to understand that there is nothing “minor” about concussions. The Kansas City Brain Injury Attorneys at Roswold Law Group applauds efforts taken to raise awareness of the seriousness of sports related concussions and the lifelong impact they can have.
Warning: Lead Can Be Detrimental To Children
310,000 children in the U.S. ages 1-5 years old have lead in their blood with levels up to 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood. At this level, CDC recommends health actions be taken. Lead can affect almost every system in the human body and typically there are no symptoms so lead poisoning goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause many problems such as learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and at higher levels can even cause seizures, coma and possibly fatality.
How Children are Exposed to Lead
A major source of lead exposure comes from lead based paint and dust in old detiorating buildings. Even though lead based paint was banned in 1978, nearly24 million houses still have lead paint, and more than 4 million of these homes are shelter to one or more children.
Other Sources of Lead
Toys
Work
Drinking water (if water runs through lead pipes, solder, or valves.)
Some Household medicine (Azarcon, greta, or pay-loo-ah used for rash or fevers)
Children Mostly At Risk
Children under the age of 6 are most at risk for lead poisoning because they are growing at a fast rate and tend to touch things and put their fingers and other objects in their mouth.
Children from all economic levels can be affected with lead poisoning, but most at risk are children living in poverty in older houses.
How to Prevent Lead Poisoning
The Key to preventing children from lead poisoning is to prevent the child from ever coming in contact with lead, and immediately treating children who do come in contact with it.
Remove all lead hazards in the child’s environment.
Public health professionals need to be educated in lead poisoning and how to go about preventing it.
Affects Caused by Lead Poisoning
- Brain damage and damage to the nervous system
- Anemia
- Behavioral problems
- Learning problems
- Slow growth
- Hearing problems
- Headaches
- Death
Recently, “Big Rex and Friends” books were recalled due to lead hazards. You can check on other recalled children’s products by clicking on the links below:
Latest infant/child recalls (not including toys)
Latest infant/child toy recalls
The Kansas City based brain injury attorneys at Roswold Law Group encourage you to read the articles on our website dealing with Missouri and Kansas Brain Injuries and Missouri and Kansas Child Injuries. You will find informative articles on child product recalls, what can cause brain injuries, and much more.
Brain Injury Awareness Month Is Being Commemorated in Overland Park on March 24th | Sports Concussions
The Brain Injury Association of Kansas City and Greater Kansas City commemorates Brain Injury Awareness Month later this month in Overland Park, Kansas. On March 24th there will be a discussion on SPORTS CONCUSSIONS by experts including:
- Local broadcaster Mitch Holthus, the “Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs,” who will also emcee the event
- Brian McRae, Kansas City Royals center fielder from 1990-1994,who in his career suffered several concussions.
- Dr. Jamie Pardini, neuropsychologist and colleague of Mark Lovell, M.D., the creator of Impact, an Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, will also be on the panel.
- Kansas City sports medicine physician David Dyck, M.D., who provides medical coverage for USA Volleyball.
The talk show format discussion costs $10, which includes a reception, and immediatly after, the discussion. This event is from 6-8 pm. For more information, you can contact the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City at 913-754-8883.
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, you can find helpful information on our Kansas City Brain Injury Attorney website in our Missouri and Kansas Brain Injury Legal Library including The Brain Can be Injured From a Motor Vehicle Accident in Three Different Ways, What You Need to Know About Concussions, and Brain Injury – Tips for Communicating with Your Doctor.
You can also find helpful resources in our frequently asked questions including What Are The Most Common Types, Causes, And Symptoms Of Brain Injuries and What is a neuropsychologist and how does a neuropsychologist play a role in a brain injury patient’s care and recovery.