A couple of years ago I posted an article in this blog about safety in playgrounds. You can find it here: https://francescruz.blog/2021/03/01/safety-in-playgrounds
One of my dear readers from Pennsylvania sent me a few days ago an email with some interesting insights about Concussions in infants and toddlers that are a bit scary.
Not only is this a time where the child’s brain is very fragile, but a concussion in an infant can be harder to recognize than in older kids. It turns out that for children under four, the leading cause of concussions is falls and typically, these injuries happen from children playing outside and on playgrounds.
Concussion diagnosis from Unsplash and Getty Images
They have a guide about children and concussions with information that parents should know as well as how treat these injuries.
You can find this guide at: cordiscosaile.com/concussion-quiz/
I think this guide could be helpful for some of my readers and I’m happy to share the links here. If it helps a single child or parent, it’s worth to have it here.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a concussion as an injury to the brain that impacts the way it functions. It occurs as a result of a sudden jolt that may or may not result in unconsciousness. The jolt can be a blow to the head or a sudden shaking motion, such as in car accidents. A concussion occurs when the brain moves inside the skull, hits the skull, and becomes injured. According to the Mayo Clinic, falling is the most common cause of concussions.
Signs of a concussion. See: https://www.cordiscosaile.com/concussions-in-youth/
What should you do if you think your child has a concussion?
- Seek immediate medical treatment. The severity of traumatic brain injuries is not always immediately apparent, and a prompt medical evaluation may prevent a worsening condition. After you return home:
- Require your child to take a break from all physical and mental activities that need a lot of concentration.
- When your child is ready to return to school, advise the school that they may need a lighter load during recovery.
- Do not allow your child to return to sports or other physical activities until approved by a doctor.
You can find a lot more information about the subject at the links above.
Picture from Milad Fakurian at Unsplash
The companies in the segment of playground and waterparks flooring I had worked with during my professional life as KOMPAN A/S, CONICA and POLYSOFT take very seriously the importance of Safety Surfacing, using absorption layers of the appropriate thickness and quality and testing Critical Fall Height of every area where the fall height is over 60mm.
You must do the same and ensure that your area enters into service only after this Critical Fall Height has been tested and repeating the test according to the legal requirements in your country. If there are not legal requirements in your country, I would suggest doing it once per year or every two years.
You can get additional information about Polysoft products or get product samples at:
Take care
Rubberman Blog 