A concussion IS a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

A concussion is caused by a bump, blow or jolt of the head
or by a fall or hit to the body which causes the head and brain to quickly move back and forth
within the skull resulting in chemical changes in the brain and cell structure. These changes
can affect how someone behaves, feels, thinks, sleeps and can be emotionally and physically
exhausting. Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of concussion/tbi resolve within 2-6 weeks with
proper treatment, rest and modifications/accommodations to daily activity during recovery. It
is important to RECOGNIZE, REST, AND RECOVER after a concussion/tbi.

Pediatric TBI is a “silent epidemic” impacting our children. The Texas Education Agency reports,
“Approximately 6,000 Texas children are hospitalized each year due to TBI with 1,300 resulting in
long-term disability.” A 2020 Center for Disease Control: National Center for Health Statistics
report found an underreporting of concussions/tbi a mere 6.8% of US children between 0-17 years
old. This under-identification may be because the injury is masked by a different medical
diagnosis, or symptom identification of a concussion/tbi is misunderstood. Yet,15% of U.S.
high-school students self-reported one or more sports or recreation-related concussions within the
preceding 12 months. These contradicting reports suggest awareness of concussion/tbi
identification, treatment, and prevention is imperative.
TBI SOS 4 Kids (Traumatic Brain Injury System of Sup-
port for Kids) is a project out of the University of Oregon’s Center on Brain Injury Research &
Training (CBIRT).

Go to https://tbisos.org
or e-mail https://tbisos.org/contact or contact cmagrane@uoregon.edu
·  To participate in our Parent-to-Parent training for children 0-7 y/o who sustained a
concussion/TBI within the past year;
· For presentations/in-service on concussion/tbi awareness in your organization; or
·  To establish a district/school Brain Injury Education Support Team (BEST), and schedule
in-service for professional staff or students.

For more information and resources go to CDC Heads Up, Texas HHS Office of Acquired Brain Injury,
Texas Brain Injury Resource Guide or for research articles and evidence based training go to CBIRT.