Study: Parents, coaches need more concussion education

Despite efforts by medical experts to educate coaches about concussions and their effects, there’s still plenty of work to be done, according to a recent survey.

Nemours KidsHealth.org found that following a blow to the head, 40 percent of coaches “would do something other than removing a child from play and not allowing them back before they saw a doctor.”

Parents also fared poorly in the survey. It showed that more than half did not know it was OK to let a child sleep after a concussion.

From Nemours:

Dr. Kate Cronan, medical editor of KidsHealth.org and emeregnecy room physician at Nemours A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, says while she isn’t exactly surprised by the results of the study, more needs to be done to educate coaches and parents.

“It tells me we need to do a lot more education,” said Dr. Cronan. “Even though it’s on the news frequently and everyone is aware of what a concussion is, or at least the basics, I’m not too surprised the parents or the coaches don’t know exactly what to do.”

A new study from Nemours KidsHealth.org shows a majority of parents do not know to seek emergency medical attention for their children or refuse to let them return to playing a sport before seeing a doctor after a head injury.

51 percent of parents would not follow the so-called “return to play” rule. About 40 percent of coaches said they wouldn’t either.

Cronan said the results shouldn’t discourage parents from letting their children play sports, but it does show the need for continued education. She also suggested that coaches in contact sports should decrease the intensity of their practices.