Stanford Football Players Help Researchers Study Concussions
STANFORD (KCBS)— More parents are seeking medical treatment for their children's head injuries. Meanwhile, research is underway at Stanford University to learn more about head injuries that result in concussions.
The medical profession is still lacking the facts on concussions making them hard to diagnosis and difficult to manage.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
Some Stanford football players are wearing high-tech mouth guards to record every bump of the head on the playing field. Dr. Dan Garza of the Stanford School of Medicine said the hope is to understand why some collisions are more dangerous than others.
"For now what we're looking at is trying to increase our accuracy in diagnosing concussions. We envision a day when athletes are monitored on field with very simple devices which will warn us that they're at risk for a concussion," Garza said.
Meanwhile, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60 percent more children are going to the hospital with concussions, but not because there's more head injuries.
Garza added more young people are coming to the emergency rooms because there's increased awareness.
"We've got to learn how to handle these concussions across all areas of health care providers."
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
