I recently had a jolting scare when my accident-prone middle child took a hard knock to the head. He immediately wanted to go to sleep and I had never seen him act lethargic. Like many parents, I wasn’t taking any chances and rushed him to the closest ER, only to find out there are some brand new concussion guidelines. Firstly, I am not a doctor or a medical professional; I’m simply sharing what happened to me and what I learned from the nurses and physicians that day.
According to the CDC, kids don’t necessarily need to be kept awake or totally shut down for days. After a short rest period, they can ease back into normal routines and even sleep as usual, as long as symptoms are stable. It was such a relief to hear that! I thought it was important to pass this along so other parents in our community know about these updates. If your child does bump their head, you can have a bit more peace of mind and know that a little rest and a gradual return to activity is now considered the norm. You can read more about these guidelines directly from the The HEADS UP campaign, which helps people recognize, respond to, and minimize the risk of concussion or other serious brain injuries.
Most importantly, always trust your instincts, if something feels off, go straight to the ER. It’s always better to be safe and reassured. Hope this helps some of you out there, especially us parents of multiple wild boys!
