Head Health Questions and Answers

What is a brain injury?  
Brain injury is any illness or trauma that disturbs the structure or functioning of the brain.  Brain Injuries can be mild, like those from a simple concussion.  Or, they can range to the severe and life-changing consequences of traumatic injuries like motor vehicle accidents or non-traumatic causes like drowning, infections, tumors and strokes.   

How prevalent is brain injury in children?
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) in children 14 and under result in 400,000 emergency room visits, 29,000 hospitalizations and 3000 deaths each year in the US.    

What about concussions in children?
US government statistics suggest that kids are having 2 million concussion injuries each year; 10% of high school football players have a concussion each year.  Having a concussion leaves a youngster 3 to 4 times more likely to have another.  It is important to monitor athletes to keep them from risk of re-injury.

What are some steps to promote good “Head Health” and injury prevention?
1.    Effective use of seatbelts and car seats.  
2.    Use helmets where appropriate (biking, skating boarding, skiing, etc.).
3.    Teach and use safe sports techniques.  If an athlete suffers a concussion, make certain appropriate return-to-play protocols are followed by coaches and trainers.
4.    Remember small children can drown in very small amounts of water.  Never leave a child unattended when bathing or participating in water sports.

What type of services does St. Mary’s offer for brain injury?
St. Mary’s Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Program, the first certified in NYC, brings a wide range of medical, rehabilitative (Occupational, Physical, Speech/Language, Respiratory Therapies), educational, and behavioral treatments to children with complex treatment needs.  Dr. Berger-Gross and the staff at St. Mary’s would be happy to talk to you about how these treatments might benefit someone you care about.


Resources

St. Mary’s Traumatic Brain Injury Program
888-KIDS-NYS or visit www.stmaryskids.org

Information on sports and concussion
www.keepyourheadinthegame.org

Information on brain injury
http://www.bianys.org/learnet/index.html

For help with an individual child, contact Dr. Berger-Gross at pberger-gross@stmaryskids.org


Tip of the month
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month.  Find resources for kids, schools, and healthcare professionals at www.stmaryskids.org.