Concussion Information for Parents
Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that needs to be taken seriously. Here, parents and caregivers will learn about how doctors at CHOP diagnose and treat concussion, as well as how they will help manage your child’s recovery.
A child’s primary “job” or responsibility is to attend school and learn so that they can reach their highest potential later in life. Although not every concussed child plays sports, every child is a student and the initial focus should be a return to school before returning to sports.
- Get concussion prevention strategies
- Find out what you should do if concussion symptoms linger
- Keep a log of your child's symptoms
Increase your concussion knowledge
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) caused by a blow or jolt to the head or body that causes the brain to shake. The shaking can cause the brain to not work normally and can result in serious side effects. Each year, thousands of children and youth are diagnosed with concussion — and only half of concussions are sports related.
Concussions can occur even when a child does not lose consciousness. In fact, only 10 percent of children with concussions report being “knocked out.” Some of the symptoms of a concussion can appear immediately after the injury, while others may not show up for several days. Symptoms may last days, weeks or months. Sometimes symptoms may be subtle and not obvious.
Concussion mythbusters video
Watch this video to get answers from our experts to the most common myths about concussions.
