Concussion testing now available to children 5 and older

Children begin participating in sports including junior league football, youth soccer, little league baseball and cheerleading at a young age. Nearly 2 million children may suffer sport-related concussions each year. As a parent or a coach, what do you do when a child gets hit in the head? Could it be a concussion? Some may not know the correct steps to take after a hit to the head.

Let King’s Daughters take the guesswork out of concussion management for your little ones. Sports Medicine physician Andy Gilliand, M.D. and orthopaedic surgeon Michael Chambers, M.D., are now offering baseline concussion testing to children as young as 5. ImPACT Pediatric is an iPad-based computerized test that is individually administered, engaging for children and easy to use in a clinical setting. It addresses a gap that has existed for years — a lack of validated tools for assessing this age group. Unlike older age groups who are often baseline tested before injury, concussion management for young children is mostly reactive.

Concussion is a common injury, but is often difficult to diagnose and treat. Testing provides parents and coaches with information regarding the severity of injury and a standard for evaluating recovery from injury, promoting safe return-to-play decisions for your child.

“As more children below the age of 12 participate in recreational physical activity, baseline testing our kids is increasingly essential to overall concussion management,” said Dr. Gilliland.

When a child experiences a concussion, the young brain is injured. Without the right care, problems including headaches and trouble concentrating can last for days, weeks or even months. That can make it hard to return to important things including school and everyday life.

When Dr. Gilliland joined King’s Daughters Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine practice five years ago, he brought with him the passion for education and timely treatment of sports-related concussions. Today, he sees about 100 athletes annually who have suffered a head injury.

“As an organization, King’s Daughters is leading the way in concussion treatment,” he said.

For more information about concussion testing for children or high-impact athletes, call (606) 327-0036.