Returning to school within two days of a concussion can help children and teenagers recover faster, according to a new Canadian study. These findings contradict the popular belief that time off school is best after a concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury.
“As a pediatric emergency physician who has treated hundreds of teenagers with new and persistent concussion symptoms, I see too many children being asked to stay out of school until their symptoms are gone. this can cause more harm and slow recovery,” the study said. senior author, Dr. Roger Zemek, said in a press release. “The results of this study provide strong evidence that returning to school early is associated with better outcomes.”
Zemek is a senior scientist at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa, and chair of pediatric concussion clinical research at the University of Ottawa. Published Friday in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, part of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study examined 1,630 adolescents ages 5 to 18 from nine Canadian pediatric emergency departments. .
Although many health groups recommend taking a day or two off school after a concussion, research shows that teens ages 8 to 18 who return to school within two days of a concussion are more likely to reduce their burden. symptom severity and faster recovery after two weeks. when compared to those who stayed at home longer. Although most symptomatic patients actually saw the greatest benefits, the same results were not observed in children aged 5 to 7 years.
“This study shows that children should do their best to return to school even if they still have symptoms because it will help their recovery,” said Zemek, who also heads the Guide. Living Guide to Concussion Care for Children, explained. -Date clinical recommendations and tools for the management of adolescents with concussion.
The Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) says that after a concussion, children “may initially stay home from school because schoolwork can make symptoms worse.”
“However, with support from the school, they should return as soon as possible,” the national group added in its current concussion recommendations. “It is not necessary to wait until the symptoms are completely gone before returning.”
New research shows that returning to school early can have therapeutic benefits through socialization, reducing stress from not missing classes, maintaining a normal sleep-wake schedule, and getting back to sleep. return to mild to moderate physical activity. The study adds that a future clinical trial will be required to determine the best time to return to school after a concussion.
In this cohort study of adolescents aged 5 to 18 years, these results reinforce the growing belief that prolonged absence from school and other life activities after concussion can be detrimental to the healing process.” “Early return to school may be associated with a lower symptom burden and ultimately faster recovery.”
