Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if a child has hit their head?

Every hit to a child's head is important to take care of. Whether a concussion or a more severe brain injury, be evaluated by a healthcare provider (HCP). This can be done by a visit to an Emergency Department (ED), Urgent care, Primary Care Physician (PCP) and/or at least a phone call to the child’s PCP for advice.

Immediate action needs to be taken for:

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizure activity
  • Persistent vomiting
  • Severe, unrelenting or increasing headache, even after rest
  • Inability to rouse out of sleep into consciousness
  • Neck pain or tenderness
  • Double vision
  • Weakness or tingling/burning in more than 1 arm or in the legs
  • Deteriorating conscious state
  • Increasingly restless, agitated or combative
  • Visible deformity of the skull

What should I do if the injury does not result in any of the redflags listed above and I am unsure of where to take a child to for care?

If unsure whether to go to an urgent care or emergency department after a hit to the head, call your PCP or pediatrician’s office to discuss symptoms over the phone. If your child does not have a primary care provider, consider calling a local urgent care clinic or a nurse advice line, which many hospitals and insurance providers offer. Having a healthcare provider guide the plan remotely allows for an immediate pivot to emergency care when/if needed.

While waiting to hear back from a healthcare provider, if red flags such as those listed above develop, go immediately to an emergency room. 

What does the Concussion Navigator App aim to do?

General Concussion Navigator

The app has several key goals:

  • Help parents, guardians, and youth recognize the signs of concussion early and seek appropriate care.
  • Increase confidence in managing concussion recovery.
  • Track symptoms and support communication with healthcare providers.
  • Make it easier to find specialty concussion providers and resources across the state, especially for those in areas with limited access to healthcare.
  • Support appropriate concussion management and return to school and play. 

 

This app is especially important because it’s the first of its kind to provide such comprehensive support for concussion management. The Concussion Navigator aims to empower families to take charge of concussion care and improve outcomes for youth across the state.

What is the Concussion Navigator App?

General Concussion Navigator

The Concussion Navigator app is the go-to resource for parents and youth in Michigan to navigate concussion care. This app provides clear, step-by-step guidance for managing concussions, from recognizing and tracking symptoms, seeking care through specialists, and providing information on return to school and play. It incorporates evidence-based practices, making it simple for families to understand concussion care and make informed decisions.

After a diagnosis of a concussion, what are the top things that a child should do to begin concussion management?

After a diagnosis, a journey of concussion management starts. 

Immediately follow REMOVE – from high risk physical activities at home (this also includes with club, recreational play) and will include at school in PE and recess when child returns to school. This is in an effort to reduce potential for a second hit to the head while still symptomatic from a concussion that can lead to serious brain damage or death. An inter-disciplinary team needs to weigh in on numerous criteria for a safe return to high risk physical activities; an HCP should make that final “clearance decision” based upon all data collected from the inter-disciplinary team members. 

Immediately REDUCE thinking load and social activities. Reduce, don’t eliminate. Restricting a child too tightly may result in anger, sadness and frustration. Dial down expectations and plans. 

Phones, video games, computer screens and TV might be restricted for 48 hours but restricting, versus reducing, after that time period has not shown to be beneficial per research. 

Let a child REST for a few days but resume some version of normal routine (except for high risk physical activity) after 24-48 hours (i.e. return to school, interact with family and friends), light reading, homework, watching TV. 

Keeping a child restricted to a dark room alone is no longer advised by research. 

What are some questions to ask a provider as concussion management continues?

A concussion is not something that can be medically “diagnosed” and then “cleared” after a certain amount of time. It requires management – by a healthcare provider, by the school, by the parent/guardian, and by the patient in other words, shared information over days to weeks.

After you get through the crisis of the diagnosis of the concussion, a conversation with a healthcare provider is needed. Here are some questions that individuals may want to consider asking a healthcare provider during initial visits. We encourage you to also refer to the “Learn” section of the app for answers to some of these questions. 

Initial Education 

  • What is a concussion?

Symptom Management

  • What symptoms should I watch for at home?
  • How long will the symptoms last?
  • How should symptoms be managed at home?
  • Are there any symptoms that concern you?
  • Are there any risks with taking over-the-counter pain medications (Tylenol, Advil, etc.) after a concussion?
  • Is there any medication or treatment recommended for symptoms like headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness or trouble sleeping?
  • What should I do if the symptoms get worse over the next few days?
  • How can I tell which symptoms or the severity of symptoms are expected during recovery and which ones may indicate a more serious problem?
  • What are signs that a child is improving?

Activities 

  • What activities should my child avoid?
  • What activities are physically safe?
  • Can I go to sleep with a concussion?
  • Can I use electronics with a concussion?
  • Are there any cognitive or physical activities that might help with recovery?

Return to School 

  • When is it appropriate to return to school? Should they return full-time?
  • Will they need academic adjustments when they return to school? Which do you recommend?
  • How do you help with any communication/academic suggestions to the school? Do you have any printed materials regarding concussion management that I can take home with me or to share with the teacher?
  • Can I sign a Release of Information here so you can communicate with the school and the school can communicate with you?
  • Who do you like to coordinate your thoughts and recommendations to at the school? The school nurse? The counselor?

Return to Sport

  • What are the risks of returning to play?  
  • When is it appropriate to return to sports after having a concussion?
  • Will they need special physical accommodation when they return to sports?
  • Can you describe the steps of progression to return to physical activities during concussion recovery?
  • Can you start any physical activity while symptoms are still present after a concussion?

Ongoing Care 

  • Knowing this is management, when should the next follow-up appointment be?  
  • Should we see a specialist? What kind of specialist? Will insurance cover these types of visits?
  • Are there any long term problems that could happen because of this concussion?
  • How can I contact you if I have questions or concerns between visits?
  • Are there support groups or resources for patients with my condition?
  • How can my family or caregivers support my recovery process?

Insurance