A new survey of Chicagoland parents conducted by Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI), one of the largest independent, physician-owned orthopedic practices in the U.S., found that they are unprepared and uninformed when it comes to concussions in youth sports.
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DES PLAINES, Ill., PRNewswire/ -- A new survey of Chicagoland parents conducted by Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI), one of the largest independent, physician-owned orthopedic practices in the U.S., found that they are unprepared and uninformed when it comes to concussions in youth sports. The IBJI Injury Awareness in Youth Sports survey found 66 percent of Chicago parents have never heard of a baseline brain health test, and of the parents who have heard of the test, only 36 percent said their child(ren) has ever taken a baseline test. Brain health baseline testing measures an athlete's performance in various areas, such as balance and memory, and physicians recommend for athletes to take the test every 1-2 years for comparison in the event of a concussion. "A baseline test is an important proactive measure parents can take when it comes to protecting their child in youth sports," said Dr. Anthony Savino, sports neurologist at IBJI. "In this day and age I would have expected higher numbers, but this just means we have work left to do." If an athlete suffers a possible head injury during the season, the results of the baseline test are used as a comparison to evaluate if the athlete is in fact concussed. The same information is then utilized throughout the recovery process to ensure they return to their baseline functioning. The survey also found that 72 percent of parents could not accurately identify the signs of a concussion when asked to choose from a list of symptoms, either not correctly identifying all possible symptoms or incorrectly identifying non-concussion symptoms as ones related to concussions. "Education is paramount, and is the foundation of our practice. Unfortunately youth sports often do not have the resources that high schools or colleges do, including trained medical staff. As children begin training for sports more competitively and at a younger age, parents become a key part of the concussion recognition process," said Dr. Savino. "We promote an active lifestyle. Participating in sports is healthy, and often a fun and memorable part of childhood. This data shows that we can all do more for our athletes, to educate and be educated, as we move forward." For more information about IBJI Sports Neurology and its locations, please visit www.ibji.com. ABOUT ILLINOIS BONE & JOINT INSTITUTE ABOUT THE SURVEY METHODOLOGY ABOUT RADIUS GLOBAL MARKET RESEARCH Contact:
SOURCE Illinois Bone & Joint Institute |
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