As most parents know, it only takes a few seconds of unsupervised play for a child to sustain a serious head injury or even death. In fact, two local children were recently hit by cars while playing on their sleds. While one child sustained only minor injuries, the other youth is battling serious head trauma. Just two years ago, a child in Truckee died as a result of a sledding accident.

Two of the most common types of head injuries sustained by young children are concussions and contusions. The government Web site Medline defines a concussion as “a brain injury that may result in a bad headache or unconsciousness.” A contusion is simply described as a bruise on the brain. (Other types of serious head injuries will be discussed in future articles).

Concerned parents must constantly ask themselves how they can best protect their children and those who play with them. The following list of suggestions, although not exhaustive, will provide you with some important safety tips.

Please see full blog post for more information.