Healthy Habits: Concussion Prevention

Whether or not you have a child in organized sports, it's important to be aware of how to respond to a potential concussion. That's why SocialMoms is teaming up with the CDC Heads Up program.

Your child doesn't have to play contact sports to be at risk. My husband and I were doing lights for an ice show last weekend, and one of the figure skaters got tangled up with another and hit her head on the ice hard enough to make herself dizzy. She and her parents did the right thing, and instead of coming out for her next number, they went and had her checked out.

It's important to know the correct response to a potential head injury, because children and teens are more likely to get a concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury than adults, and have longer recovery times. A concussion can actually create chemical changes in the brain, which makes it even more vulnerable to further injury, especially during the recovery period. The CDC has a four-step Heads Up Action Plan you should follow if you think your child may have a concussion.

1 - Keep your child out of play. Don't let them return to sports or vigorous exercise until being cleared by a doctor. This can delay recovery and can even cause more serious problems.
2 - Seek medical attention right away. Waiting can delay the amount of time before a concussion diagnosis is made, which could contribute to further injury.
3 - Teach your child that it's not smart to play with a concussion. "Toughing it out" with a concussion isn't a badge of honor, it's a crazy thing to do.
4 - Talk to coaches and school health professionals about any concussion, even minor ones. They'll know to keep a closer eye for worsening or recurring symptoms. Sometimes even studying or playing video games can cause symptoms to return or get worse, so they'll help adjust activities during that time.

For more information, you can visit the Heads Up initiative, where you can find stories from athletes, videos and other media, sports-specific information, and more. You can also order materials and find detailed information for various roles, including health care professionals, high school coaches, youth coaches, and school professionals. You can also join the CDC Heads Up page on Facebook.

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