Sports Concussion in Children
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 2, 2024.
A sports concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that happens during a sports activity. It can happen during almost any sport but is most common with football, hockey, and boxing. Your child's head may come into contact with another player, the player's equipment, or a hard surface. Even what seems like a mild blow can cause a concussion. It is important to follow return to play and return to sports protocols to prevent serious injury.
DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS:
Call your local emergency number (911 in the US) if:
- You cannot wake your child.
- Your child has a seizure, increasing confusion, or a change in personality.
- Your child's speech becomes slurred.
Seek immediate care if:
- Your child has sudden or new vision problems.
- Your child's pupils are different sizes.
- Your child has a severe headache that does not go away.
- Your child has arm or leg weakness, numbness, or new problems with coordination.
- Your child has blood or clear fluid coming out of his or her ears or nose.
- Your child cannot stop vomiting.
Call your child's doctor if:
- Your child does not recognize people or places that should be familiar to him or her.
- Your child has nausea or is vomiting.
- Your child's symptoms get worse.
- Your child's symptoms last longer than 4 weeks after the injury.
- You have questions or concerns about your child's condition or care.
Medicines:
Your child's provider will tell you how long to give pain medicines to your child.
- Acetaminophen decreases pain and fever. It is available without a doctor's order. Ask how much to give your child and how often to give it. Follow directions. Read the labels of all other medicines your child uses to see if they also contain acetaminophen, or ask your child's doctor or pharmacist. Acetaminophen can cause liver damage if not taken correctly.
- Do not give aspirin to children younger than 18 years. Your child could develop Reye syndrome if he or she has the flu or a fever and takes aspirin. Reye syndrome can cause life-threatening brain and liver damage. Check your child's medicine labels for aspirin or salicylates.
- Give your child's medicine as directed. Contact your child's healthcare provider if you think the medicine is not working as expected. Tell the provider if your child is allergic to any medicine. Keep a current list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs your child takes. Include the amounts, and when, how, and why they are taken. Bring the list or the medicines in their containers to follow-up visits. Carry your child's medicine list with you in case of an emergency.
Help your child manage a concussion:
Concussion symptoms usually go away without treatment within 2 weeks. The following may be recommended to manage your child's symptoms:
- Stay with your child for the first 72 hours after the injury. Call your child's healthcare provider if he or she has new or worsening symptoms.
- Have your child rest to help his or her brain heal. Your child's healthcare provider may recommend complete rest for the first 72 hours. Keep your child home from school or daycare. Do not let him or her ride a bicycle, run, swim, climb, or play sports. Do not let him or her play video games, read, watch television, or use electronic devices. Your child can go back to school and his or her usual daily activities when symptoms are gone. He or she will need to stop any activity that triggers symptoms or makes them worse.
- Help your child create a sleep schedule. A schedule will help prevent your child from getting too much or too little sleep. Your child should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day. Keep your child's room dark and quiet.
Treatment options
The following list of medications are related to or used in the treatment of this condition.
A return to play protocol
helps officials decide if a player can go back in after a suspected concussion. Healthcare providers who are trained in sports medicine examine players who have a blow to the head. They look for certain symptoms, such as confusion, dizziness, and nausea. These symptoms may mean a concussion happened and it would be dangerous to go back in.
A return to sports protocol
is a plan to help your child build up to playing at the level from before the concussion. Work with healthcare providers and your child's coach or athletic director to create the plan. It may take months for your child to move through the following steps:
- Step 1 is for your child to do activities that do not trigger or worsen symptoms. An example is a slow walk. Then his or her healthcare provider will allow a move to the next step.
- Step 2 is meant to help get your child's heart rate up safely. He or she may be able to do up to 10 minutes of light aerobic activity. Examples include jogging slowly or riding a stationary bike.
- Step 3 includes activities that need head or body movement, such as a short run. Your child may be able to do some weightlifting in this step. He or she will have to use lighter weights than before. Lifting time also needs to be shorter.
- Step 4 moves to heavy activity, such as sprinting or weightlifting with heavier weights. All activity at this step still needs to be non-contact. Your child may be able to start doing sports drills if the drills are non-contact. The movements allowed in the drills will have to be limited. Your child's healthcare provider and coach will create a drill plan.
- Step 5 is for your child to return to practice. If your child plays a contact sport, he or she may be able to return to full contact during practice. This will depend on the instructions your child's healthcare provider gives.
- Step 6 is a return to competition. Your child's healthcare provider may give limits for how long your child can compete at one time.
Help your child prevent another sports concussion:
- Have your child wear protective sports equipment that fits properly. Check the fit before each season begins. Your child may be a different size than last season, even if he or she is not much taller. If a helmet is used in the sport, make sure your child's fits correctly. A helmet can lower your child's risk for a concussion. Make sure the helmet meets all safety guidelines.
- Help your child understand all the rules of the sport he or she plays. Your child may be less experienced than other players. He or she may change positions on the team between seasons. This can cause confusion and mistakes during the game. This increases the risk for a concussion.
- Make sure your child has healed from a concussion before returning to sports. Another concussion could cause a condition called second impact syndrome (SIS). This means your child has another concussion before he or she has recovered from the first. SIS can be life-threatening. Your child may not be able to play in the next several games until he or she heals.
Follow up with your child's doctor or specialist as directed:
Your child may need tests over time to make sure his or her brain has healed. Write down your questions so you remember to ask them during your visits.
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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
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