Some doctors in the Chicago area say they are seeing the highest number of concussions in youth hockey players this year than ever before, and the concussion rate for a young player is nearly as high as professional players.
Dr. Jeff Mjaanes specializes in pediatric and adult sports medicine at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
Because a young player's brain is still developing, their brain:
- is more susceptible to a concussion
-is more likely to suffer long-term effects
- takes longer to recover
- is more likely to have a repeat concussion
- is harder to diagnose
Typical signs of concussions
Your child may have a concussion:
-if child suffers a blow then develops symptoms such as headache, dizziness, etc.
-if child develops worsening headache, persistent vomiting, true lethargy, you should take child to the emergency room for evaluation as the injury may be more serious
Something else parents should know: After your child suffers a concussion, they obviously have to stop playing for a while, but while they're recovering, it can also have an impact on their school work and how much they can study.
There is a tool to help with the diagnoses of concussions that families should know about, it's a base-line testing that they can do. A local organization is offering free base-line testing for young hockey players for the next two weeks. More information at www.rushortho.com http://www.rushortho.com
