A new report warns athletes of the "culture of resistance" that encourages returning back to the field too quickly following a concussion, increasing the chance of a second brain injury with more dangerous side effects, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The research by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council claims despite increased awareness about concussion injuries and tougher laws, some injuries go unreported and do not follow the suggested treatment plan.
Their report was done after studying young athletes aged 5 to 21 years old and found that females and athletes who have already had concussions are at a greater risk of getting another one through sports-related activity.
"In some ways it's more important what not to do. Don't make things worse," said Arthur Maerlender, assistant professor at Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine.
Researchers emphasized the importance parents have in discussing the risks with their children if they don't receive proper medical care. Although 90 percent of children recover from concussions after one to two weeks of rest, there is no specific time frame recommended.
Additionally, they said helmets and other sports gear will not prevent the risk of a concussion but can still reduce the possibility of injuries like a skull fracture.
"The findings of our report justify the concerns about sports concussions in young people," said Robert Graham, chairman of the committee and director of the national program office for Aligning Forces for Quality at George Washington University. "However, there are numerous areas in which we need more and better data."
The group of researchers asked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor concussion injuries and statistics, specifically among younger children rather than high-school aged.
On Monday, a report at another medical conference showed that they found no difference in risk of injury after studying different brands of helmets worn by high school football players.
"Our preliminary findings suggest that neither any specific brand of football helmet nor custom mouth guards result in fewer concussions in kids who use them," lead co-investigator Dr. Margaret Alison Brooks said in a news release.
Additionally, custom mouth guards offered no additional protection either. In fact, athletes wearing custom-fitted mouthguards suffered higher rates of concussions than those who did not wear customized ones.
