Health & Safety

On April 7, 2011, Iowa governor Terry Brandstat signed the state's youth sports concussion safety law into law.  It will take effect July 1, 2011.

Middle and high school students who are both bullies and victims of bullying are three times more likely than students who are neither to seriously consider suicide, intentionally injure themselves, report being physically abused by a family member and witnessing violence in their family, and to use drugs and alcohol, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Aim of the STOP Sports Injuries campaign is provide parents, coaches and athletes accurate information and tools to prevent, recognize and treat the long-term consequences of sports overuse and trauma injuries to children.

Pencil and paper neuropsychological tests have proven useful for identifying cognitive deficits resulting from concussions, and have been available to sports medicine clinicians for years but have a number of limitations.

Computerized neuropsycognitive testing for concussions has become increasingly popular in recent years and have been shown to have value in making the all-important return to play decision.

Girls who play sports more than 8 hours per week are twice as likely as their less active peers to suffer a stress fracture, a new study finds. Most at risk were those engaged in three activities (running, basketball and cheerleading/gymnastics) which involve repeated jumping and landing which place particuarly high stress on bone, with the risk of injury increasing about 8 percent for each extra hour of activity over four per week.

Mouthguards become highly contaminated with bacteria, yeast and mold with use and should be sanitized in an antimicrobrial solution between uses, recommends a new study by researchers at Oklahoma State University.

Advice from a physical therapist on ways to reduce the risk of Achilles tendon injuries while increasing the strength, power, and dynamic capabilities of the foot and ankle.

The National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) and National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) have created a 12-minute educational video titled "Concussions in Hockey: Signs, Symptoms and Playing Safe" which is available for free download online.

Students with a concussion may have difficulty retaining new information and retrieving information when needed. To help a student remember better, here's a list of "Top 10" cognitive strategies for parents to give to teachers.