The findings in a recent study in the Journal of Athletic Training that female athletes are more prone to concussions than male athletes and take longer to recover are hard to explain, says Dr. Robert Cantu, but may due to several factors.
Only where an athlete continues to experience post-concussion signs or symptoms for more than a week is consultation with a concussion specialist recommended, says Dr. Robert Cantu.
Noted sports concussion expert, Dr. Robert C. Cantu, discusses how he became involved in MomsTeam's efforts to educate youth sports parents on concussion dangers.
What serves mothers so well as sports parents is their natural protectiveness, nurturing instinct, emotional
openness, and their belief in the importance of fair play, cooperation, connectedness, inclusiveness and the value of doing one's best over winning and competition. Here are 8 ways moms can use their special gifts to help their
child - and all children - have the best possible sports experience.
Parents should not be passive bystanders when it comes to the subject
of concussions in sports. There are many things parents can do to
minimize the risks that their child will suffer a concussion while
playing sports and, more importantly, is not allowed to return to play
too soon
The last five to ten years have seen a dramatic increase in the number
of reported cases of second impact syndrome (SIS) which occurs when an
athlete who sustains head trauma, i.e. a traumatic brain injury - often
a concussion or worse, such as a cerebral contusion (bruised
brain) - sustains a second head injury before signs of a concussion
with the first have cleared.
Are you trying to decide whether
and when to let your child start playing sports ,
try out for a competitive travel team or begin specializing in a single
sport? Are you considering pulling your child
off a team because you sense tjhat your child is at risk of emotional or sexual abuse by the coach?
My advice is to trust your intuition.