As football season ramps up, is there anything parents can do to help protect their child from concussions?

The most important aspect of prevention of concussions is awareness. Concussions are traumatic brain injuries that must be taken seriously. Make sure your child is being taught the appropriate ways to tackle and be sure the child is wearing a helmet, which fits appropriately. Recently, several studies have looked at specific helmet brands and have released data on impact reduction, most of these studies are accessible online (http://www.sbes.vt.edu/helmet). Be sure to familiarize yourself with common concussion symptoms because they mimic many complaints of children in day to day life (nausea, dizziness, headache, fatigue, disorientation, memory loss, visual changes). If there is any concern the child should be removed from participation and should be evaluated and cleared by and appropriate health care professional. Once cleared the child should slowly return to play in a methodical stepwise fashion under the direction of the health care professional.