When Kids Collide — The Truth About Concussions

Your child doesn't have to be hit on the head to suffer from a concussion. Buzzini points out that high impact to the chest, similar to that of whiplash, can also cause a child's brain to go into an altered state. Even a hard fall can lead to concussions.

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Many people think that a concussion results in a loss of consciousness and nothing more, but Buzzini says that couldn't be further from the truth.

"A loss of consciousness only happens with about 10 percent of concussions," he says. "So it's important that parents, athletes, and coaches recognize the other symptoms." Some of the physical signs of a concussion include headaches, nausea, vomiting, balance problems, dizziness, and fatigue. Buzzini adds that children may also be more irritable and have a "mental fog" that keeps them from acting like themselves.

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Though football is the biggest culprit, it is not the only sport that causes concussions. Wrestling, soccer, and basketball also send a number of children to the hospital for head injuries. In reality, however, any impact sport can cause concussions.

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Given the far-too-competitive nature of children's sports, kids are running, hitting, and kicking harder than ever before. And all these things can cause a concussion. Buzzini suggests we return to the idea of fair and fun play when it comes to young athletes.

"We shouldn't allow kids to use the crown of the head to tackle the opponent [in football] or body check in ice hockey," Buzzini says.

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We teach our children to be tough and never give up, but we should make an exception when it comes to taking a hard hit.

"If there are any signs that they may suffer from a concussion, a child should be removed from the game," Buzzini says. This doesn't only mean showing symptoms, as those can take time to appear. If a child has been hit at all during the game, Buzzini suggests making them sit on the sidelines. By putting them back in the game too soon, your child runs the risk of second-impact syndrome, which happens when a child gets a second concussion before they recover from the first one. Buzzini adds that parents should exercise caution and give kids at least a week off from any physical or mental exertion so they can slowly work their way back to normal.

"I usually tell patients not only to rest their bodies to recover from the concussion, but to also rest their brains," he says. "Talk to the schools about giving extra time for assignments or postponing tests so that your child can recover sooner rather than later."

While some of these practices may seem a bit drastic, Buzzini stresses that it's better to be overly cautious.

"Concussions may be unavoidable. They just happen," he says. "But you don't want to go back to a game or to practice before being cleared. That's a no-brainer."

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