As summer sports season starts to wane and fall rests on the horizon, we’d like to remind everyone of the need to deck kids out in the proper safety equipment for their sport.
According to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, an estimated 4.4 million kids between the ages of five and 18 are treated in emergency rooms each year for sports related injuries. The use of some simple protective gear will go a long way to help minimize harmful effects.
Helmets help to prevent concussions which can be caused by a blow or jolt to the head in sports such as football, baseball and softball. Children are resilient, and often will be up and running around shortly after an injury, so it’s important to check them for signs of dizziness, feelings of being faint or lapses in memory. All of these symptoms are indicators of a potential concussion.
Dr. Divine, the director for the center, stressed in a recent Medical News Today article the need for “coaches, trainers and parents to be observant of head injury symptoms because athletes may not report them…of utmost importance, athletes younger than 18 who have any post-blow-to-the-head symptoms affecting their thought process should not return to the same practice, game or contest and be evaluated by a physician prior to return to play.”