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You cannot see it. It may become obvious right away or show up days or weeks later. When you do see evidence of it, seek medical attention right away. What is it? It is a concussion.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.6 million to 3.8 million concussions occur in sports and recreational activities each year. Sports in the United States are generally recognized as tools in the development and health promotion of children. Seventy-five percent of parents of middle or high school aged children encourage participation in organized sports.

There are more concussions in football than in any other sport: 58,080 annually. This figure is more than the combined injuries in soccer and basketball. Close to half of all concussions in youth sports occur to children 12 - 15 years old, according to WebMD.

"As school has started, young athletes are stepping onto playing fields. Sports injury prevention should be of upmost concern to players, parents and coaching staffs alike," said Naples Brain Injury Attorney, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

In NeurologyNow (August/September 2015) Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, Director of the Michigan Neuro Sports Program, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology said, "We've come to appreciate that blows to the head can be more serious and require more lengthy recovery than anyone recognized even five years ago."

The American Academy of Neurology's guideline recommends that if an athlete is suspected of having a concussion, he/she be removed from the game immediately and not be returned until assessed by a health care professional trained in concussions.

Concussions are traumatic brain injuries occurring when there are blows to the head. The blows disrupt the normal brain function according to NCH (Naples Community Hospital) Healthcare System Health Matters July 2015.

What are the signs and symptoms of a concussion?

SafeKids.org says that if your child has experienced a bump or blow to the head during a game or practice, look for any of the following signs and symptoms of a concussion:

Brief loss of consciousness after the injury

Memory problems

Confusion

Drowsiness or feeling sluggish

Dizziness

Double vision or blurred vision

Headache

Nausea or vomiting

Sensitivity to light or noise

Balance problems

Slowed reaction to stimuli

What can parents do to keep children playing sports safely?

Parenting.com encourages parents to reinforce safe sports environments by not promoting or encouraging a style of play that might compromise an athlete's safety. CoachUp, a service for athletes and coaches, suggests the following tips for preventing concussions:

Educate yourself. Learn the symptoms of concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Review the CDC's fact sheet for parents and take the CDC's free online course. Be familiar with the CDC's guide for coaches.

Educate your children. Review the CDC's fact sheet for athletes with your child and quiz your child on the symptoms on an ongoing basis.

Encourage open communication and ask questions. Introduce yourself to your child's coach in a friendly and open manner so that the coach will always feel comfortable coming to you with any concerns regarding your child. Then ask your child's coach how he or she will be conducting concussion education over the course of your child's season. Continue to maintain regular contact with the coach over the season and encourage your child to talk to his coach on a regular basis so he or she develops a comfortable and open relationship with their coach. Having an honest relationship with the coach and knowing that you are communicating with the coach regularly will encourage your child to air concerns more openly should he or she sustain a concussion or injury in play.

Know who the medical professional is. Identify who the trainers or medical professionals are in your child's sports organization or school and find out if they will be attending games. Always know who is in charge of medical care or with whom to speak should your child ever get hurt. Make sure your child's medical information is always on file and up to date with their sports organization and school.

Celebrate safe and legal play. During and after competitions, make an extra effort to celebrate when your child makes a play that is completed with good form and technique. If you see your child making plays that are overly violent, talk to your child about it immediately after the game. If your child says that was how he was taught to play, consider following up with your child's coach to review how you can help reinforce safe play with your child, which will help reinforce to the coach that you want your child being coached safely. 

NeurologyNow reminds parents that starting with a pre-season evaluation of baseline measurement of brain function is important. A test called Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing or ImPACT can evaluate memory, motor speed and reaction time. This provides a base with which to compare should there be an injury. For more information click here ImPACT.

Naples Accident Attorney,  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.