CDC concerned about gaps in treatment for children who suffer traumatic brain injuries

The Center for Disease Control found a problem in the way children who suffer a traumatic brain injury are treated, according to a CDC report presented to Congress.

The CDC reports that very little is known about the long-term effects a child can develop after suffering a brain injury, but is concerned with gaps in treatment for children who suffered a brain injury.

It found, that often times, after a child is treated for a head injury, the treatment stops once they’ve recovered. The report found that virtually nothing is done to see how the child is affected later in life and that more research is needed to learn about the long term effects.

Head injuries can cause certain types of disabilities. The CDC found that more than 61 percent of children with moderate-to-severe TBI (traumatic brain injuries) experience a disability.

In its report, the CDC wrote, “We know very little about the long-term adult outcomes of TBI in children. Most longitudinal studies of children with moderate-to-severe TBI have examined outcomes in children for intervals that are too short to understand how TBI impacts adult outcomes.”

The CDC reports significant problems might not be known until years after the injury and that its imperative to study the effects on children as their brain develops into adulthood.

A common cause of traumatic brain injuries happens during sports and recreational activities.

Jesse Perales, the head football coach at Del Valle High School, has undergone extensive training to identify when an athlete suffers a head injury. He says an athlete has to pass a 5-stage concussion protocol in order to be cleared to return to the field.

“You’ve got be able to recognize the symptoms,” Perales said. “But we won’t take any chances when it comes to concussions. Anytime a parent or a coach feels that a kid has a concussion, they’re automatically placed into the protocol.”

Perales even mentioned an innovative way Del Valle is keeping its players safe on the field. Players are using mouth guards that are equipped with a chip that stores computer data.

“It can tell you where they’re getting hit and where the impacts are,” Perales said. “And then we’re reporting it to the district and following those kids from freshmen all the way up.”