Athletes have a tendency of shaking off head injuries to get back in the game.
Everyone has his bell rung now and then, right?
But answering the bell too soon is a bad idea, according to Dr. Catherine Mazzola. As a pediatric neurosurgeon at the Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, she sees plenty of traumatic brain injuries. Anyone who has taken a blow to the head needs time to recover fully before attempting any return to athletics, she cautions. That is doubly true for children, whose brains still are developing.
“You can’t fool around with your brain. You only have one brain, and brain damage is permanent,” Dr. Mazzola said at a recent media briefing.
Nearly half a million children 14 or younger are taken to hospital emergency rooms annually for treatment of head injuries, the doctor said.
A growing body of evidence suggests mental impairment can result from multiple concussions. Studies of retired National Football League players have found serious cognitive problems that may stem from head injuries sustained during their careers.
The National Hockey League, which has seen one of its brightest stars, Sidney Crosby, sidelined by successive head injuries, has introduced rule changes in hopes of reducing concussions.
Dr. Mazzola is excited about a state law that takes effect next month mandating helmets for skiers and snowboarders 17 and younger. The law resulted from a Morristown Medical Center study of injuries from two ski resorts, she said. That study found snowboarders faced greater risk of injury than skiers.
In this short video, Dr. Mazzola describes what happens in most concussions–head-on impacts are seldom the cause–and she recommends that young athletes have an ImPACT test.
These are cognitive tests taken when a child is healthy, to give doctors a baseline for comparisons after an injury is sustained. Many school systems provide this service. Morristown Medical Center, which is the medical provider for the New York Jets, has such a program with the Morris School District, said Dr. Walter Rosenfeld, chair of the hospital’s pediatrics department.
Surprisingly, Dr. Mazzola said she sees a higher percentage of girls with head injuries from soccer than boys with football-related concussions.
Her two sons play football, and she likes the positive lessons and camaraderie that team sports offer. To a point, of course.
“Two concussions, and they’re done,” the doctor said.
