CDC Report to Congress on the Management of TBI in Children

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children is a significant public health problem in the United States. A traumatic brain injury disrupts the normal function of the brain, and can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or a related injury.

CDC recently released a Report to Congress on The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury in Children, which details the impact a TBI can have on children and their families. The report also:

  • Identifies gaps in care
  • Provides opportunities for action to reduce the gaps, and
  • Highlights key policy strategies to address the short and long-term consequences of a TBI.

See the link below for access to the report AND other great resources.

CDC Report to Congress on the Management of TBI in Children

Domestic violence advocates call for awareness of brain injury among survivors

Domestic violence advocates call for awareness of brain injury among survivors
The Sydney Morning Herald (Aus) | Feb 5, 2018
Last year, 47 women died violently in Australia, the majority in situations of family violence. This year the count is already at seven, according to Destroy The Joint. But as advocacy groups keep tally of lives lost, they have no way of counting the number of women who suffer non-fatal injuries, often repeatedly, which impact them for the rest of their lives.

Ex-NFL player fighting brain trauma: It’s not only athletes who get CTE

Ex-NFL player fighting brain trauma: It’s not only athletes who get CTE
Today Show | Feb 1, 2018
Most often, CTE is linked to football and its impact on the brain; there’s also a focus now on how it can impact developing brains in children. In January there were two new state bills calling for a ban on tackle football in kids under 12. But other sports aren’t immune: CTE has been found in boxers, soccer players, hockey players and military veterans.

CTE and Repeated Hits

It’s not concussions that cause CTE. It’s repeated hits, a study finds                                                                                                                           CNN | Jan 18, 2018

CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is a neurodegenerative disease found in individuals with a history of brain trauma. It has been diagnosed in many professional football players, raising questions surrounding how to decrease the risk of CTE among athletes. A recent study conducted by Dr. Lee Goldstein and colleagues at Boston University investigating the brains of athletes has suggested that it is important to shift the emphasis of CTE prevention efforts to ways to reducing the total number of repeated hits instead of solely focusing on concussions.

Concussions can make lasting changes to the brain

Popular Science | Oct 26, 2017
A new study shows that even when young hockey players who suffer concussions appear fully recovered, and doctors and trainers return them to the ice, scans still show abnormalities in the brain. The findings were published today in the journal Neurology, and add to a growing number of studies showing that neurological changes linger even after clinical symptoms of a concussion clear up. Athletes may appear back to normal on a battery of cognitive and physical tests, but not on an MRI scan.

New ID card can stop discrimination against brain injury survivors

The Falkirk Herald (UK) | Oct 27, 2017
A new initiative was launched today to help brain injury survivors combat wrong assumptions made about them on a daily basis. Part of brain injury charity Headway’s Justice Project, the card will help police identify brain injury survivors and ensure they are given appropriate support when they come into contact with the criminal justice system, either as an accused suspect, victim or witness.

Advice about Concussion Treatment for Children

Consumer Reports | Sep 21, 2017
Most children who experience a blow to the head that leads to concussion recover well, within a week to two, says Robert Cantu, M.D., clinical professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Boston University Medical School and co-founder of its CTE Center. But what’s the appropriate concussion treatment? Here’s what experts advise if your child or teenager sustains a concussion while playing contact sports such as tackle football, soccer, or hockey.

Teen Concussion Update

NPR | Sep 29, 2017
A new analysis of data confirms what many doctors fear — that concussions start showing up at a high rate in teens who are active in contact sports. About 20 percent of teens said they have been diagnosed with at least one concussion. And nearly 6 percent said they’ve been diagnosed with more than one, according to a research letter published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.