As the long-term effects of concussions and TBIs are being studied more in-depth, parents are now more concerned than ever about allowing their children to play contact sports.
The journal JAMA Pediatrics has released some new guidelines about kids in sports.
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The five major guidelines are:
- Kids should be taught collision techniques before playing contact sports.
- There is not conclusive evidence that younger children face higher risks of getting sports-related concussions.
- Evidence is inconclusive on whether multiple childhood concussions are linked with long-term neurological changes.
- Technology that measures head impact exposure, and advanced brain imaging techniques, are both experimental and not ready for use.
- Helmets should be worn in high-impact sports though there’s little or no evidence that headgear prevents concussion in rugby and soccer.
![](https://images.upbeatnews.com/posts/5568/uzOLxXfbZ985rDTgbhE2u92oYpU18ZQEXe93GSzG.jpeg)
Parents are worried, with good reason, that their children might sustain concussions and suffer years later from things like dementia. But Dr. Frederick Rivara says, " the data is pretty clear that the answer is no."
There's no evidence so far that there's been an increase in concussions and the long-term effects of them over the past three decades, just increased awareness of the issue itself.