Recent research has shown that a lot of children and teenagers in the United States suffer every year from concussions. More precisely, around 500.000 kids go to emergency rooms every year to be offered treatment for concussion.

Unfortunately, the number of unreported cases is every higher based on the latest study.

In other words, the data gathered from this survey estimated that about 1.1 million to 1.9 million children and teenagers younger than 18 years old suffer head damage every year. The current statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention account only for emergency room visits.

But the real situation is that very few children and teens receive treatments in the ER. In addition to this, more than 500.000 kids with concussion have not been reported coming to the ER or a physician.

Right now, the United States have three national databases used to track concussion that occurs throughout the country. Therefore, based on the information from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, and Market Scan, between 115.000 and 167.000 children received a concussion diagnose in the emergency room.

Furthermore, only 378.000 concussion diagnoses were received after doctor visits. It means that more than a half a million children were seen only by an athletic trainer.

It is also worth mentioning that researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia did a survey which revealed that over 8,000 children and teenagers received a concussion diagnose. Moreover, only 12% percent of these diagnoses were given in the emergency room, whereas 82% of them came from a doctor’s office.

In other words, just a small percent of the total number of concussion diagnoses are made in the emergency room, meaning that the real number might be a lot higher. CDC also underlined that the United States is in dire need of better concussion surveillance among children and teenagers.

Experts recommend parents to take their children to EM if they keep vomiting, can’t keep looking at you, have trouble maintaining a coherent conversation and last but not least if the mental status of the kid starts deteriorating.

According to Kristy Arbogast, lead author of the study, the future statistics must be based not only on emergency room visits but also on a more thorough survey that will reveal the correct number of children suffering from concussions.

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