Experts helping local kids tackle concussions head on
A Highton horse lover recovering from a nasty fall has been unable to return to school full-time due to concussion, as health services seek to raise awareness about head knocks in kids.
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Local medical experts are attempting to tackle pediatric concussions that can affect kids well beyond the sporting arena.
Signs and symptoms of concussion can include loss of consciousness after trauma to the head, confusion, headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, loss of short-term memory and saying the same thing repetitively.
This list of symptoms is all too familiar for 15-year-old Marnie Jackson, who fell off her horse six weeks ago.
“The horse put its head up really high coming into a jump, and the jump was quite big,” the Highton resident said.
“Then it realised it was there at the last second, it couldn’t actually see it, and it tried to jump it and flipped over.”
Marnie was knocked unconscious for five minutes.
This recollection of events isn’t her own - she has to rely on her mother Emma Jackson for the details, not only unable to recall the event, but much of the day it happened, September 24, at all.
What Marnie does remember is becoming conscious again during the ambulance ride to Melbourne, and realising that her injuries would mean she would be unable to ride for a significant period of time.
She is one of many children in the area affected by concussion.
Since opening just under two years ago, 21 per cent of Geelong Sports Medicine Centre’s (GSMC) concussion patients have been kids, totalling 40 children.
“Pediatric concussions, arising from various sources beyond sports-related incidents, can profoundly impact a child’s life, affecting not only their ability to play sports but also their school attendance,” GSMC director Emma Jarman said.
“These symptoms can endure for weeks or even months post-injury and left untreated, conditions can worsen, or recovery can be prolonged.”
Marnie has been working with a concussion therapist at GSMC who has got her back at school three days a week.
While she’s been able to get back on a horse with relative ease, getting back into the classroom has been more of a challenge.
Marnie said while it’s been a “bit frustrating,” she’s starting to see an improvement.
“I’m still not fully back yet, because after I focus for a long time, and work hard, I just struggle to be able to do it,” she said.
“I’ll start going more soon, I’ve improved a lot lately, I’ve been able to go for full days.”
A free Barwon Health webinar will connect specialists from McKellar Kids Rehab with parents, coaches and teachers to discuss pediatric concussion.
Last year, the McKellar Kids Rehab in North Geelong treated up to 60 young people suffering from persistent post-concussion symptoms.
Host of the webinar and clinical neuropsychologist Dr Therese Clark said the most common causes of pediatric concussion were a fall from play equipment or tripping over and banging their head, followed by head trauma suffered while playing contact sport.
“We support clients on average for between two to three months, with an overall goal of supporting them to return to normal activities such as school and sport,” Dr Clark said.
The free pediatric concussion webinar is on Tuesday 14 November at 11am to 12 noon. Registrations are via Zoom: https://barwonhealth-org-au.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bcCWv9BSQGubpP1J4ZUI9A
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