St. Louis Children’s Hospital Tackles Sports Injuries With Special Webcast

It’s only September, and we’re already swept up in the first period of the school sports season.

To protect our kids on the field, court and rink, this August, the state of Missouri enacted a new youth concussion law, which requires athletes who show signs of a concussion to sit out for 24 hours and have a clearance note from a doctor before returning to the field. This new law is especially relevant since according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency rooms see around 13,000 sports-and-recreation-related traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, among children ages five to 18 every year.

Said Dr. Mark Halstead, director of the concussion clinic at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, who testified on behalf of the concussion law, “The new Missouri law about concussions is a step in the right direction for appropriately educating about and managing head injuries. We are pleased this is being taken seriously on all levels. It is important that parents, coaches and players learn as much as possible about the proper way to recognize and manage concussions, an injury that may have long-term consequences although it’s an area that needs further research.”

Spreading awareness about sports injuries

However, concussions aren’t the only injury that can pull an athlete out of competition now and possibly the rest of his or her life. According to Dr. Halstead, common injuries, such as ligament sprains, broken bones and stress fractures, can lead to arthritis and chronic pain if not allowed to heal properly. On September 7, coaches, teachers and parents alike can learn tips for handling these injuries during a special interactive webcast hosted by St. Louis Children’s Hospital – Good Sports: Preventing and Treating Kids’ Sports Injuries.

Joining Dr. Halstead on the call will be Dr. Dee Hodge, associated professor of emergency medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, and Dr. Jennifer Silva, pediatric cardiologist.

Understanding the seriousness of sports injuries is more important than ever in this competitive world. Feeling both external and internal pressures, more and more teens are jumping back into the game too soon after suffering an injury. As adults, it’s up to us to learn about the consequences and guide our teens in the right direction.

“Many kids want to be the star on the field and please their parents, coaches and peers,” explained Dr. Halstead. “Kids also may get mixed messages about when to sit out because of an injury. Certainly I also see many kids who hide their pain or injury during early parts of seasons or during tryouts for fear of not making the team. We counsel parents to watch for the signs that their children are coming back too early from injuries or hiding their injuries they receive. No one benefits when a child plays with an injury, and it is especially important that our youngest athletes heal properly.”

To join the webcast on Wednesday at noon, simply visit the Good Sportsinvite page now and register for this important event.

By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting