According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), organized sports participation is on the rise in the United States. Nearly 30 million children and adolescents in the country take part in youth sports. According to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, roughly 3 million children ages 14 and under injure themselves every year while playing sports or taking part in recreational activities. Although it is rare to find a fatality caused by a sports injury, the leading cause of death resulting from a sports-related injury is a brain injury. Approximately 21% of all traumatic brain injuries among children in the US are caused by sports and recreational activities. Concussions are one of the most common types of head injuries. It is considered a mild traumatic brain injury, caused by a blow to the head. When this blow is powerful, the cushioning that the cerebrospinal fluid provides cannot protect the brain from hitting the skull or rotating.
Signs of a Concussion
If you notice any of the following signs, you should seek medical attention or call 911 immediately.
- Loss of consciousness
- Slurred speech
- Unequal dilation of the eyes
- One-sided weakness
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Difficulty breathing
- Increasing or severe head or neck pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Discharge or bleeding from nose or ears
You should consult a pediatrician if any of the following symptoms are experienced by your child:
- Dizziness
- Seeing stars
- Mild amnesia
- Headache
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sensitivity to noise or light
- Anger, depression
- Difficulty sleeping
- Problems with taste or smell
Until the doctor provides clearance to your child, you should make sure that sports and other physical activities are avoided.
Helmets for Your Child’s Safety
Helmets are one of the most effective ways to protect your child from a concussion and traumatic brain injury. Experts say that kids should wear a helmet while they are cycling, rollerblading, skateboarding, snowboarding, downhill skiing and while playing baseball and football. It is important to make sure that your child does not wear a loose helmet as it will not provide adequate protection. It should fit snugly, but not too tight. The helmet should cover the temporal bones to prevent a skull fracture. According to a recent report, an expensive helmet does not necessarily mean that it will provide extra protection. The study also found that older un-reconditioned helmets offer less protection than newer ones or helmets that have been recently reconditioned. Apart from wearing a suitable helmet, you should also make sure that children have proper training before they participate in any sports or recreational activity. Along with practice, proper technique will help in reducing injury, prevent falls and minimize falls. If your child has suffered a concussion as a result of another person’s negligence, you should immediately consult an injury attorney at Rosenberg, Minc, Falloff, & Wolff of RMFW Law. Let’s discuss the merits of your case. The first meeting is free. The first meeting will cost you nothing. What do you have to say? These types of cases are not easy to win but we know which direction to take and we have won cases like this before more than once. We know how to put pressure on the other side to increase our chances of walking away victorious. We are not paid until you are paid. RMFW Law only takes a percentage of the final verdict or settlement, so really you never pay us.
