There are of course many ways in which a person might be injured. While car crashes and work accidents are likely the first to come to mind, seemingly less dangerous pursuits can also lead to serious injuries such as broken bones, spinal injuries and concussions. One of the ways young people commonly find themselves with concussions is, believe it or not, playing sports.

For many years, this was not an issue. If the youth indicated he or she felt okay, they would usually be allowed to return to the game. Now, in light of recent lawsuits filed by former professional football players who say they were repeatedly cleared to play after sustaining concussions, the topic is a hot one for athletes of all ages.

One of the issues surrounding children sustaining concussions is the difficulty diagnosing them. Young children have a difficult time when it trying to describe the symptoms they are experiencing. Also, in many cases the adolescent is afraid that a parent will be disappointed if they are unable to return to the game.

According to a neuropsychologist with the UPMC concussion program, even when the classic symptoms of nausea and headache have disappeared, it may take several weeks before a child's brain has recovered. For that reason, it is important that the youth receives a proper evaluation by a medical professional before getting back to doing things they once did such as playing sports.

Though these issues are arising in the context of injuries sustained while playing sports, they could easily apply to concussions sustained by youths in other ways as well. All would likely agree that any steps that can be taken to protect the brain of a youth are a good idea.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "What dangers face the young athlete: Concussion, the invisible injury," Jack Kelly, June 4, 2012