Because children haven’t fully honed their motor skills, they are naturally prone to falls and bruises and cuts. And because children’s bodies are still developing, this in turn makes their injuries more serious as they seem.
One of these injuries is a concussion.
A new study conducted by researchers at York University postulates that it takes children ages eight to sixteen two years to fully recover from a concussion.
“Because their brains are still developing, children in this age group are neurologically more vulnerable, and their cognitive motor integration (i.e. how well they interact with a moving target on a computer screen) can be impaired by concussion,” said Riyana Straetker in a Parents article.
Testing 50 children with a history of concussion, the study compared their results to 49 children who have not had a concussion in their life, and the results were startling.
It took two years for children with a history of concussion to match the performance of their non-concussed peers, said the Parents article.
This is scary because, like all brain-injuries, a concussion can have long term effects on a person’s physical, cognitive, and emotional abilities.
What is a concussion?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.
This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes in the brain.
Although symptoms don’t manifest immediately, the typical signs you should watch out for include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Severe headache, including a headache that gets worse
- Blurred vision
- Trouble walking
- Confusion and saying things that don’t make sense
- Slurred speech
- Unresponsiveness (you’re unable to wake your child)
“Call your doctor right away to report other problems, such as vomiting, dizziness, headache, or trouble concentrating,” said Kids Health. “Then you can get advice on what to do next. For milder symptoms, the doctor may recommend rest and ask you to watch your child closely for changes, such as a headache that gets worse.”
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