January is Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
Next month is National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Month. During the next four weeks, safety groups in both Illinois and Indiana will be working with advocates across the country to encourage greater recognition of the dangers of permanent harm or death caused by traumatic brain injuries (TBI) resulting from winter sports accidents.
Of special concern are the risks facing children and teenagers playing winter sports. Statistics show accidents while playing sports are the reason for almost every TBI suffered by children and teenagers in this country.
According to the Indiana Department of Public Health, almost 70% of all sports and recreational accidents that result in Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) are suffered by Hoosiers under the age of 19 years.
Winter sports cause many of these serious and life-altering brain injuries, particularly in accidents involving snow skiing, ice hockey, snowboarding, and sledding.
Children Suffering Head Trauma Injuries While Playing Winter Sports
While many adults enjoy the various sporting activities offered by our snowy winters here in Indiana and Illinois, it is often our children and teenagers who take full advantage of winter sports, from skiing to sledding, snowboarding, ice skating, snow tubing, and ice hockey.
Children are at a special risk for suffering injuries and severe harm while participating in winter sports. The danger of someone still in their formative years suffering a traumatic brain injury from a winter sports accident is a serious concern for everyone living in our part of the country.
Leading Cause of Death for Children in Sports Accident is Brain Injury
Referring to statistics compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, Stanford Children’s Hospital warns:
- Over 3,500,000 kids under the age of 14 years old get hurt playing sports each year in this country.
- The leading cause of death for children suffering from a sports-related injury is a brain injury.
- Sports contribute to approximately 21% of all childhood TBIs.
Regarding Winter Sports Accidents Involving Youngsters and Pre-Teens, Stanford warns:
- Over 25,000 children between the ages of 5 years to 14 years are treated in hospital emergency rooms for snowboarding and snow skiing-related injuries
- Over 20,000 children between the ages of 5 years to 14 years are treated in hospital emergency rooms for ice hockey-related injuries each year.
- Over 16,000 children between the ages of 5 years to 14 years are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sledding-related injuries.
Head Trauma Can Cause Death or Permanent Disabilities
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can cause death in a child involved in a winter sports accident. It is more common for the winter sporting accident to result in permanent, life-altering harm to the child’s cognitive functions caused by the head trauma.
For more on how serious and deadly head injuries can be for a child playing winter sports, read our earlier discussions in:
- Brain Injuries to Kids and Teens From TBI Concussions Suffered While Playing Football, Hockey: Sports Helmets Do Not Prevent Permanent Injury to Brain
- 10 Different Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries Caused by Accidents.
Duty to Protect Children Playing Winter Sports in Indiana and Illinois
It is ludicrous to suggest that children in Illinois or Indiana should be forbidden to ice skate, or that school districts bar ice hockey teams from their leagues. Winter sports offer many positive lessons for our young people, alongside their physical health benefits.
However, these winter sports involving those who have not reached adulthood must be accompanied by adults who are knowledgeable and aware of the risks of head injuries (especially TBIs) and concussions to young people.
- Duty to Know the Law. Parents, coaches, teachers, referees, and other supervising adults need to know the legal protections that exist to safeguard children participating in winter sports. Is the child at the legal age to be participating in the winter sport? What gear is required? Is the gear in suitable condition? Is it being worn properly?
- Duty to Know Signs of Head Trauma. These adults also need to know all the signs of concussion in children, since head injuries can be slow to reveal themselves and kids are known to avoid reporting symptoms of head or neck injuries due to a fear they will be sidelined.
- Duty to Provide Prompt and Proper Medical Treatment. Finally, whenever a child suffers a head injury while playing winter sports, proper medical treatment should be available for them and provided as soon as possible. Any question of emergency medical care should be resolved in favor of the hospital or ambulance. Why? Delay in treatment of a TBI can exacerbate its damage.
Children must be monitored as they play winter sports. If they are a victim of a TBI suffered in a winter sporting activity, then there may be a legal claim for damages against one or more defendants based upon negligence, product liability, negligent supervision, or other personal liability laws of Indiana or Illinois.
Winter sports come with known hazards for all participants; however victims who are not of legal age may have a greater risk of harm or injury than adults, while simultaneously having less ability to protect themselves or to comprehend and analyze the risks of TBI from a winter sports injury.
For more on TBI accidents in children, read:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (overview)
- Dealing with Traumatic Brain Injuries after Serious Accident in Indiana or Illinois
- High School Hockey and Football Players May Be Suffering Brain Injuries In Routine Play Per New Research Study
- Concussions in Kids On the Rise: New AAP Guidelines Issued.
Head injuries suffered by children while playing winter sports should be presumed to be serious, since a child’s head trauma can all too often result in a permanent, life-altering bodily injury. Please be careful out there!
