Pop Warner

Pop Warner, the nation’s largest youth football organization, announced changes this week, that will affect how young football players practice.   The changes that are being instituted will limit the amount of head-on collisions and other full force contact allowed in practice. Pediatric neurosurgeons certainly have been aware of the potentially lethal injuries that can occur while playing football. While these injuries are thankfully VERY uncommon, mild traumatic brain injury or mild TBI occurs often.  Children with TBI suffer from concussion symptoms. Concussion symptoms vary tremendously from child to child.  The signs of concussion and mild TBI range from headache, neck pain, ringing in the ears, nausea, fatigue, to more subtle changes such as a change in sleep habits, changes in school or cognitive performance, behavioral changes or increased emotional responses, such as anger.  I think that with increased education and training, we will be better able to prevent and diagnose mild TBI and concussions in our young athletes.  You can learn more about concussions at www.njconcussioncenter.com or www.njpediatricneurosurgery.com.