Having the brains of our little athletes basline tested??

[Momo]

I get periodic text mssgs from kid fit. Today's said that if we have young athletes in our families to consider having their brains basline tested in case of future concussions. Just curious if anyone has heard of this or done it?? Hussey...what's R's thoughts on this??

[diggitydot]

Our last school district made it a requirement for HS students to get the testing done before they'd allow them to play in a game or match, just like buying an ASB card and having decent grades. They're trying to make it mandatory in our new district and throughout the entire league, too.

It's also very normal in sports medicine.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Clearly not there yet but I would ABSOLUTELY do this for kids playing contact sports. They need a baseline to ensure that they don't return to play too early. I bet Dr. Deebs could weigh in here too on seeing the head injuries/concussions come through his ER.

This is a bit of a personal soapbox for me since I'm very good friends with one of the people who shed light on the concussion crisis in youth sports and has basically forced the NFL into confronting the issue.

[HouseofWool]

I will not let C play contact football for this very reason. He simply cannot afford another brain injury, it isn't worth the risk.

[SuzySunshine]

I too think its an excellent idea, one of DH's med school friends did a concussion study on the Stanford football players when we were there that was basically baselines as freshman and then retesting them often.

Another friend's husband is a professor at Wichita State and he worked with another WSU alum to develop test this app: http://www.impacttest.com/products/?Sway-Balance-13

My understanding is that this app basically opens up testing that is similar to equipment only NFL level teams have because of the expense. Teams that use it take a baseline of each athlete and then if they think they are concussed they have the tools to test that.

If DH lets A play soccer as she gets older and R play football I can totally see him doing this on his own if the team doesn't.

[Deebs]

Definitely a great idea. DH is a huge believer in recognizing concussions ASAP, and brain rest until true signs of recovery. The best way to determine recovery is by having a baseline. If you follow "Sports Legacy" on Facebook, they post great articles and research about concussions almost daily. There are also now apps for smartphones that can help give a quick "test" for cognitive responses. I know the docs who work at the concussion center here are really in favor of those being used on sidelines.


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[Ladybug]

All our contact athletes' cognitive baseline is assessed at the beginning of the year. The information is additionally used to delay academic tests until their knowledge can be fairly assessed.

[Pollyanna]

Our boys do the baseline test every year before football season. DS17 had a concussion last year. Last hit of practice he was blind sided. He had a slight headache when he got home but had no other symptoms until the next day in class when he couldn't remember how he got to class. He needed a good week of rest to recover and his was very mild in comparison.
DS13 was only tested for football but they should for wrestling and LAX as well. As an aside, we have a friend he wouldn't let her son play football because she was so worried about concussion . She said okay to LAX, he was knocked out in his first game.

[houseelf]

As an aside, we have a friend he wouldn't let her son play football because she was so worried about concussion . She said okay to LAX, he was knocked out in his first game.

sidebar/

I've heard this A LOT and it makes no sense to me. Lacrosse can be brutal. I *wish* my oldest chose something more benign like chess club or tennis, but it wasn't his thing. C's teammates have had several concussions through the years along with broken bones and stitches. One boy lost a testicle for not wearing a cup (then he was too embarrassed to tell mom and dad so it was dead by the time he went in because he couldn't bear the pain anymore).

[HouseofWool]

I am so very happy to keep C in karate - at least for the time being all sparring is non-contact... Judo? Ugh, that is a different story, but he loves it.

[MrsK]

DrK wrestled and played football in high school, did wrestling and rugby in college, and men's club rugby for a few years after that. He was a prop in rugby. Basically, he was "the big guy on the front row who hits/pushes the big guys on the opposition's front row so the little guy with the ball could get through the scrum." It makes me just sick to think about. He had injuries to his back, knees, and hands that basically kept him out of a surgical residency. He broke his nose 6 times. Who knows how much brain damage he's got. I've been scared to let the K Bros get involved in sports early because I don't want them to be recruited for high contact sports. However, I'm being warned that once the middle school coaches get a look at DrK, they are going to want my boys even if they are uncoordinated 70lb weaklings. DrK is telling me that the boys will be encouraged to play contact sports and not tennis/swimming/golf if they are built like him. And K2 is already predicted to be a big big guy someday. He's built like a DrK already who is built like a rubgy prop with lots of upper-body strength, a short neck, broad shoulders, and powerful legs. (If you google images of "rugby prop" you'll see what I mean. These men look invincible.) Imagining my boys on the scrum keeps me awake at night.

[Sheherezade]

Baseline testing was mandatory for HS soccer. I'm shocked by how many kids a year end up with concussions. At least 3 a year I'd say. A friend's son had real issues after a hit 2 years ago. Was reinjured in his first game back and ended up missing 4 weeks of classes for "rest". That really made me reevaluate team sports. No way us it worth failing a semester of "real" school. My kid's busted ACL was bad enough. We aren't doing a busted brain....

[bokelley]

After neuro rads I doubt dh will ever let future children play sports. I had two dislocated shoulders, whip lash and three concussions from gymnastics. He hates seeing kids learning to hit the soccer ball with their heads.

[Momo]

So I keep reading & hearing about HS aged athletes...have any of you w/ athletes 6-13yrs, baseline tested? Will you ?

[Pollyanna]

So I keep reading & hearing about HS aged athletes...have any of you w/ athletes 6-13yrs, baseline tested? Will you ?

Contact football starts in 5th grade here and all the boys are tested. Vandy also has their own testing you could have done outside your school system.

ETA: I'm not sure if they've developed tests for children as young as six.