What parent has not worried that their child has a concussion, or will get a concussion from playing football, soccer, or falling off a bike?
Unfortunately, infants fall off of beds, out of grocery carts, and on the play ground. Many of these “accidents” need not happen. I see toddlers and other young kids standing in shopping carts reaching for something on the shelf while Mom or Dad are looking for an item on the other side of the aisle. (When that happens, I usually stand guard by the cart until the parent returns and then say, “I was worried that he might fall.” Some parents thank me and remove the kids, but others glare; I have even had a parent suggest that I should go away and let her parent her kids.)
But there are some injuries which are less easy to avoid. Out-fielders collide while going for a fly ball; soccer, hockey, and football players all crash into each other. Coach Lombardi said, “Football is not a contact sport; kissing is a contact sport; football is a collision sport!” And so are many others.
How does a parent or coach recognize a concussion? There is lots of discussion in coaching and medical journals about this question and much more information about how to treat them! We’ll have to leave the treatment part to the attending physician, but an article in January’s issue of AAP News (American Academy of Pediatrics) suggest a smart phone and tablet app which takes much of the guess work out of the problem.
Go to http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/concussion-recognition-response/id436009132, or https://market.android.com/details?id=com.parinc.crr&feature=more_from_developer#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwMiwiY29tLnBhcmluYy5jcnIiXQ. Note, there is an underline mark _ between the word more, from, and developer above.
Please forward this information to your friends, relatives, coaches, teachers, and any others who deal with kids. They’ll appreciate it. I’m just sorry it wasn’t available when I wrote “Messengers in Denim.”
Thanks!