Your son knocks helmets with a teammate on the ice. Your daughter heads the ball during a soccer match. Your linebacker goes down after a rough tackle. By nature of the game, participating in sports puts your children at greater risk of concussion and head injury.

Proper prevention and education can help keep your family safe. Julian Bailes, MD, Former NFL and NCAA Team Physician, Current Medical Director for Pop Warner Football and Co-Director of the NorthShore Neurological Institute, says it’s important for parents to know the symptoms of concussion to watch for, which include:

• Headache
• Memory disturbance
• Dizziness
• Difficulty with balance
• Visual problems
• Trouble concentrating on school work
• Abnormal behavior
• Sleep problems

It is important to recognize that symptoms of a concussion may not be immediate. For this reason it is very important that parents, coaches, trainers and teammates are mindful of injuries and pull athletes from a game anytime injury is suspected. Any signs or symptoms of concussion should be taken seriously and should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.

Get immediate treatment and be smart about when you send your athlete back in the game after they heal.

What safety measures to you put in place to reduce injury? What other questions do you have about concussions and other sports injuries?