It is a known fact that the brain develops faster in childhood than any other part of the body. That’s why it’s so important to take measures to protect your kid’s noggin and promote healthy brain growth to ensure they reach their full potential.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention notes that children’s brains are especially vulnerable to injuries, infections and toxins and that certain activities or behaviors can increase the risk of harm or injury to the brain, or even cause death. There are some habits that may seem harmless, but can impact brain development and cause long-term problems, experts say.
How then do we know which activities are best for children, in order to reduce the risk of injury and keep the children’s brains safe and healthy?
Experts have advised that parents should that their kids do not get involved in contact sports without helmets. Games such as football, hockey, baseball, bicycles, roller skating, skateboarding etc, are high impact sports that require helmet for brain protection.
Any game or sport involving significant fall risk or with a potential or injury, whether it’s at practice or a competition must keep th head well protected against brain injury.
Dr. Brain Im, a physiatrist specializing in brain injury rehabilitation and co-director of the NYU Langone Concussion Center reportedly said, “especially when starting a new activity that they’re not so sure about or where there is significant fall risk or potential for injury.”
Helmets can protect against concussions (a type of traumatic brain injury), fractures, lacerations and more.
Certain sports come with a higher risk, says Im. American football has the highest concussion rate compared to any other high school sport (followed by soccer and hockey), according to Dr. Puja
Brain experts caution parents against allowing children below the age of 18 to participate in high-impact, high-contact sports, without a protective head gear.
Im says that education can play a big role in reducing the risk of some contact sports. “You have to take risks in moderation to some extent, but … if (parents and children) are fully educated, the risks you take are calculated risks,’’ he says. Ensuring your child always wears the proper protective gear for their sport, age and skill level, is a no-brainer.
Return to a sport after multiple concussions
Even one concussion is too many, the experts note. But repeated concussions, which are frequently seen among child and teen athletes who play contact sports, can cause brain damage and a lifetime of neurological consequences, the experts note.
“After repeated concussions, even just two, I would likely not let my child return to that sport or activity, period. … To me it’s an indication that the activity is too risky,” says Im.
Even after the first concussion, Im says he would never let a child return to that sport — unless they are completely symptom-free and have proven they can tolerate their usual cognitive and academic tasks. “There is a very significant concern of triggering more concussions, as well as a risk of severe brain damage or injury when you return to activities before you’ve fully recovered,” Im adds.
Concussion symptoms can include a headache, head pressure, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, visual changes, balance problems, sensitivity to light or sound, mood changes and fatigue.
Anytime a child has a suspected concussion, they should see a doctor as soon as possible for an evaluation, the experts note. “Some people think if you get a head injury during a game and you’re up walking around and talking that you’re fine. … Unfortunately that’s not the case,” says Aggarwal.
Repeated concussions can cause permanent damage, experts say. They also warn about post-concussion syndrome, where symptoms — such as “difficulty speaking, mental health changes so they may become more anxious or irritable, poor concentration, and memory issues” — persist for weeks or even months.
Knowing when it’s time to give up a sport or switch sports is ultimately a decision for parents, the child (if old enough) and their doctor. “I find that incorporating the child into the conversation early on is really important,” Dr. Aaron Abrams, pediatric neurologist specializing in neuroimmunology at the Cleveland Clinic, tells TODAY.com. He adds that children should understand the consequences if they continue to participate a sport that’s causing repeated concussions.
Routine or excessive caffeine consumption
Despite being perceived as a healthy diet for some adults, consuming caffeine can come with some health risks such as headaches, insomnia, irritability, nervousness, tremors and fast heartbeat among others.
Health experts warn that kids under the age of 12 must not consume caffeine. They also discourage children and teens of any age from taking energy drinks. These habits, they claim are not safe for kids and must be avoided by all means.
More importantly, experts have linked various types of headaches and migraines to drinking a lot of caffeine. Sugar in many sweet coffee or energy drinks can result in inflammation in the body.
Caffeine can also impact sleep duration and quality. Not getting enough sleep, experts say, is a problem especially for kids, who need up to nine to ten hours sleep a night.
Common sources of caffeine for kids include:
Soda
Coffee and some coffee-flavored ice creams, candies, etc.
Tea, including iced teas and sweet tea
Some waters and juices
Energy drinks
Some chocolates, mints, gummies, chewing gum, peanut butter and energy bars
Some skin care products, like lip balms
Some over-the-counter medications
Some dietary supplements, especially for energy, weight loss, energy, exercise and combination CBD and caffeine products
“I see a lot of kids with various types of headaches and migraines, and I find that there seems to be an association with drinking a lot of caffeine,” Abrams says. The sugar in many sweet coffee or energy drinks can also increase overall inflammation in the body.
Like nicotine, caffeine can become habit-forming and lead to withdrawals and rebound headaches, says Abrams. Caffeine can also impact sleep duration and quality, the experts note. “We know that not getting enough sleep is problematic especially for kids, who need at least nine or 10 hours of sleep a night,” says Abrams.
Vape
Smoking-cigarettes can have serious health implications on kids. Smoking can be harmful and highly addictive because it contains nicotine.
If a child gets addicted to the nicotine in the vape, that can sometimes become a gateway to other substances, whether it’s marijuana or other types of illicit drugs. Experts therefore encourage parents to have conversations with their children about vaping and the health risks as early as possible.
Have uncontrolled screen time
Children should limit screen time to no more than two hours a day and avoid screen time after 8:00pm. According to neurologists, the light stimulation can disrupt the circadian rhytms and alter the sleep wake cycle.
Research has shown that screen time can lead to bedtime delay and impact the quality of sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health. In a recent study, researchers found that, for elementary-school age children, routinely sleeping less than nine hours at night can have lasting effects on neurocognitive development, TODAY.com previously reported.
Excessive screen time has also been linked with other mental health issues, the experts note, and even poorer quality of life. This has led to increase in the number of children sufferring from short attention span and total loss of concentration.
Today.com