Recently, there has been lots of media attention given to concussions.  This is a good thing, because we are seeing more of them occur in kids every year, as kids play more organized sports and are more active than ever before.  Fortunately, with all this attention, we are gaining a better understanding of what concussions are and what should be done for a child or teenager who has a concussion.  For example, in the past, athletes with concussions who felt better in 15-20 minutes were allowed to return to the game that day; now, we know this is unsafe, and any athlete with a concussion MUST be held out of the game in which they are playing.

With all this attention has come new legislation.  There is a new Illinois law mandating that school boards and the IHSA work together to better education schools, teams, and coaches on concussions and how to manage them.  The following is actually part of the new legislation: “In cases when an athlete is not cleared to return to play the same day as he/she is removed from a contest following a possible head injury (i.e., concussion), the athlete shall not return to play or practice until the athlete is evaluated by and receives written clearance from a licensed health care provider to return to play.”

Any athlete with a concussion must be evaluated by a health care provider.  This will help determine any treatments that might be needed as well as establish a plan for return to athletic activity.  Here are some resources for more information, from Children's Memorial Hospital and from the CDC.