Each year in The United States: Approximately 1.5 million Americans sustain Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) ranging from mild to severe. 51,000 people die from TBI. 230,000 people are hospitalized due to TBI and survive. More than 1 million are treated in emergency rooms.
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Prevention
The best way to protect yourself and your family from concussions is to prevent them from happening.
CHILDREN
Unfortunately, head injuries are very common with children, accounting for approximately one hundred thousand hospitalizations annually. Modes of injury include motor vehicle accidents, bicycle accidents, and sporting injuries.
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CAR SEATS AND BOOSTER SEATS & BICYCLE HELMENTS
CAR SEATS AND BOOSTER SEATS
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. But many of these deaths can be prevented.
Placing children in age- and size-appropriate car seats and booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than 50%.
BICYCLE HELMETS
Bicycles are associated with more childhood injuries than any other consumer product except the automobile. Children are at particularly high risk for bicycle-related injuries. Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related death and permanent disability. Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries. The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from
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WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A CONCUSSION OR HEAD INJURY
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000028.htm
A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions are caused by a blow, jolt or even a "bump" to the head. They can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. Because a brain injury can cause physical, cognitive and emotional consequences that can affect a person for a lifetime, it is important that Brain Injury is understood and that competent, highly qualified legal help be obtained. Most people will only experience symptoms from a concussion for a short period of time. But sometimes concussion can lead to long lasting problems. A great information booklet on dealing with family members with head injuries can be found at: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/tbibook.pdf
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Concussion Awareness Program
A concussion awareness program has been developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is teaming up with schools as part of a campaign to help prevent young athletes from sustaining concussions
The campaign is called
“Heads Up: Concussion in High School” and
“Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports” initiatives.
It includes FREE materials and information to help coaches identify concussions and take immediate steps to respond when one is suspected.
As part of the campaign, clipboards and posters providing a comprehensive list of signs and symptoms of a concussion, as well as important steps to take when a concussion is suspected, will be mailed to every middle and high school who request the materials.
Campaign materials also emphasize the methods coaches and parents should practice to best protect athletes and prevent long-term problems:
- Insist safety comes first.
- Ensure athletes a
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OTHER FREE INFORMATION
The CDC has many FREE publications, pod casts and other materials for safety on varied subjects including: ~prevention of head injuries,
~child safety,
~older adult falls,
~partner violence,
~play ground injuries, etc.
you can order them at:
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/A-Z_Injury_Topics.htm
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