A Canadian group of researchers says that a concussion is not just a minor head injury, but a brain injury that parents must take more seriously.

Researchers at the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario say that although the term “concussion” is used loosely to signify any kind of minor injury or head bump, these injuries are more serious than most of us know. The researchers reviewed 434 children with brain injuries. Of these kids, 32 percent had suffered a concussion.  The researchers found that:

• Children who had suffered a concussion were required to stay in the hospital for a lesser amount of time.
• They also spent fewer days off school.
• Not only that, they also returned to school soon after being discharged from the hospital without a lengthy recuperation period.

According to Dr. Carol DeMatteo, who is an associate clinical professor at the School of Rehabilitation Science, children who return to school or begin to play sports soon after a concussion are at a higher risk of suffering another head injury. In fact, these children are twice as likely to suffer a second head injury within a period of one year. This second injury can actually end in serious or permanent brain injury.

Concussions are typically not taken seriously. Once the bump disappears and the pain is gone, parents assume that their children are fine and don’t need additional treatment. However, Dr. DeMatteo warns that children who suffer a concussion must be monitored, and kept under observation. This is especially so if the CT scan shows brain damage, or if the child has lost consciousness for a long period of time. In such cases, the child may have suffered a more severe brain injury which is not visible from the outside. Externally, the child may be able to perform normal activities without any signs of damage, but such injuries could turn very serious or fatal quickly. 

As California brain injury lawyers, we would also advise schools, teachers and coaches to monitor such injuries in students. Children who have suffered concussions must not be allowed to play rough sports before confirming that there is no underlying brain damage.