Kansas City Sees Rise in Athletic Youth Concussions

A recent report released by the CDC says that there has been about a 60% increase, over the past decade, in the number of concussions and other Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) amongst young athletes.  According to this report, there were around 153,375 TBIs in 2001 among young people from infants to the age of 19.  By 2009, the number rose to 248,418.  A lot of the injuries happened to football players, children in playgrounds, and bicyclers.

Julie Gilchrist, study researcher and pediatrician with the CDC’s Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention in the NationalCenterfor Injury Prevention and Control in Atlanta, said, “I believe this is, at least, in part due to increased awareness.  We are hoping that awareness has gotten up to the point that parents, teachers, and coaches recognize the signs and symptoms of concussion and make sure that children are evaluated.”, but the precise reason for the rise in TBIs is unknown.

Dr. Linda C. Degutis, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, says that they believe that a reason for the increase in ER visits is because people are more aware of the need for professional healthcare for those with TBI symptoms.  Knowing the symptoms and immediately getting the affect person professional health care attention is important.  Many states, Kansas and Missouri among them, require that parents and coaches get concussion education.

TBI Symptoms:

  • Headache
  • Sensitivity to light or noise
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Balance issues
  • Dizziness
  • Double or blurred vision
  • Loss of consciousness (even brief)
  • Confusion
  • Memory problems
  • Pressure in the head
  • Inattentiveness
  • Et cetera

Another reason concussions and other TBIs may be becoming more common is because young athletes are bigger and play more aggressively than they used to.  They hit harder and use their helmets as weapons.

The report suggests that there are some differences when it comes to a child’s age and gender in injury rates.  Around 71% of ER visits for sport and recreation associated injuries were in boys.  Out of these, 70.5% of these visits were boys between the ages of 10 and 19.  Infants to children of 9 years are more likely to have head injuries while riding bikes or playing on the playground.

Dr. Robert Cantu, co-director of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, is writing a book about concussions among youth.  He does not think that youth under 14 years of age should play collision sports until safety issues are better addressed.  “They should not play collision sports as they are currently played,” Cantu said.  “Listen, I love sports.  I’m not trying to get rid of sports.  I’m trying to get rid of head trauma in sports particularly at the youth level.”

There are ways to help prevent TBIs.  Football players and bicyclers should always wear well fitting helmets.  To build strength and skills that can help prevent injury do conditioning exercises.  Always follow the rules of the game being played because this alone can reduce the likelihood of injury.

After a concussion has been confirmed, students shouldn’t go back to school or do homework.  They should stay in a dimly lit and quiet room where they can rest for a few days after receiving the injury.

If you or a loved one has suffered from a concussion or TBI and have questions about your rights, the Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys may be able to help.  Call 888-348-2616 for information and look at the Brain or Spinal Cord Injury practice area for more information.

Are You Suffering From a Serious Brain Injury in Kansas City? Research Suggests Wii Beneficial For Brain Injury Recovery

Kansas State University researchers have found that Nintendo’s Wii Fit helped improve balance for a soldier with a traumatic brain injury(TBI).

Some symptoms of TBI include:

  • Impulsive behavior
  • Loss of memory
  • Impaired perception (balance)
  • Personality changes
  • Loss of taste and smell
  • Diminished concentration
  • Hearing and balance disorders
  • Cognitive fatigue
  • Concussion
  • Coma
  • Epilepsy
  • Measurements of balance were taken in the beginning of the experiment.   The study had five training sessions, 30 minutes each, playing different Wii games, which showed improvements of the soldier’s balance.

    The soldier also reported liking the rehab process, Stating ”it was interactive and showed his progress through the training”.

    Hildebrand Says: ”Wii has been out for a few years and has been used in settings like hospitals, nursing homes and clinics for all types of rehab, but there’s not a lot of published research that shows that it’s effective. Hes goes on to say”The Wii is different from other virtual reality technologies used in rehabilitations. Its advantages include that it’s cheaper, easily accessible and easy to use. Possible follow-up research includes the effects of Wii on rehabilitation for other conditions, including injuries like ankle sprains and knee injuries”.

    The three leading causes of TBI are: The head being struck with force; the head striking an object; and/or thebrain undergoing movement within the skull yet without visual trauma to the exterior of the head.

    TBI’s are an ongoing problem with soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Blasts are the leading cause of TBI with soldiers, which often go unnoticed. 20 % of active duty soldiers suffer a TBI.

    The Kansas City Brain Injury Attorneys at Roswold Law Group hope to see more improvements in the Brain Injury research field. Brain Injury is the leading cause of death adn disability in the US, including the Kansas City area.

    If you or someone you love have suffered a serious injury to your brain or spinal cord in an accident in Kansas or Missouri, contact the experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys of Roswold  Law Group.  With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Injury cases, we can help you with your claim.

    Bicyclists: Protect Your Brain – Wear A Helmet.

    Bicycling season is here! Does everyone have their helmet? EVERYONE (adults included) needs a helmet, not just children.

    Perhaps a surprising statistic, research has shown that  adults 30 years and older need helmets the the most. According to Dr. Angela F. Gardner, President of the American College of Emergency Physicians, “As you age, your brain shrinks, but your skull does not. That extra space means that the brain can bounce around inside the skull and may be more easily damaged from a blow.”

    Research regarding the safety benefits of wearing a helmet suggests that people who wear helmets reduce their risk of brain injury up to 88 percent and their risk of facial injury by approximately 65 percent. Riders who not wearing a helmet do not typically fair well when involved an accident. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in 2008 more than 90 percent of the 714 bicyclists killed were not wearing helmets.

    The brain injury attorneys at Roswold Law Group would like to see people protect themselves from injury by wearing a helmet. Have fun, But be safe!

    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.

    James M. Roswold is licensed to practice law in the state of Missouri only. Heather A. Lottmann and Victor B. Finkelstein are licensed to practice law in the state of Missouri and the state of Kansas.