Brain Injury Laws Have Resulted in More Children Receiving Treatment

As concerns over head injuries impacting student athletes skyrocketed, a number of states passed laws that required treatment for persons who suffered a concussion. Since those laws were passed, there has been a significant increase in the number of students being treated for concussion and other related injuries.

That information comes from a study that was published recently in the American Medical Association’s journal JAMA Pediatrics. The data came from a group of students who were treated after suffering a concussion between 2006 and 2012.

The study found that there was a 92% increase in the number of children who were rushed for treatment after suffering concussions in those states that had laws that required such treatment to be administered. In those states that had no such concussion laws in place, there was a 75% increase in the number of children being rushed to hospitals for treatment.

That seems to increase that even in those states where there are no laws that require treatment for patients with concussions, there was a ripple effect because of the overall increased spotlight on these injuries. The national media has continuously spotlighted the devastating consequences of concussions or brain injuries on student-athletes, and the news has made headlines even in those states that did not have these concussion laws. Broader awareness of the need for immediate treatment after a concussion has led to more people being rushed for treatment, even in those states that do not mandate treatment.

Don’t ignore even a minor fall from a bicycle, or any head injury in a bicycle accident. A concussion is one of the most frequent injuries in bicycle accidents. These must be referred to a doctor immediately.