New Report Examines Concussions in Young Athletes
An Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel chaired by GW School of Public Health and Health Services Research Professor Robert Graham, MD, has issued a report looking at concussions that occur when children, teens and young adults play sports. The report provides a broad examination of youth sports finding that concussion rates are highest in football, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling and soccer to name a few. In addition, the report notes that kids with concussions may return to a sport too soon after suffering a concussion.
“The findings of our report justify the concerns about sports concussions in young people,” said Graham, chair of the committee and also the national program director of the Aligning Forces for Quality Program, which is based at the SPHHS Department of Health Policy and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Coverage of the report was seen in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, LA Times, Associated Press, Inside Higher Ed, PBS Newshour
A one-minute podcast about the report was created by HealthBeat, an initiative of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.