Concussions affect over
Concussions in Early Childhood
Tools to give a voice to young children
Concussions have no boundaries. They can occur at any stage of life, even in young children.
2,7
million
children aged 0 to 18 years worldwide each year.
Children under 6 years old are nearly
twice
as likely
to sustain a concussion compared to older children.
Concussions affect over
2,7
milion
children aged 0 to 18 years worldwide each year.
Children under 6 years old are nearly
twice
as likely
to sustain a concussion compared to older children.
A little one hit their head... Don’t panic!
Is it a concussion? This is a question many people ask after a significant blow to a child’s head.
But first, what is a concussion? It is a brain injury that can occur following a blow to the head, neck, or body, caused by a fall, collision, or car accident, for example.
It’s not always easy to detect, but the best way to know what to do is to observe the child.
Understanding symptoms without racking your brain
Red flags
Observed: loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, severe headache or other alarming signs. Click here for the complete list of red flags.
Recommended: immediate medical assessment at the emergency (for example, via an ambulance or an urgent care setting).
Frequent symptoms
Observed: headaches, seeming “elsewhere” or being in a daze, fatigue, or other bothersome symptoms. Click here for the complete list of frequent symptoms.
Recommended: medical assessment (for example, with a family doctor or at a walk-in clinic).
Lack of symptoms
Observed: nothing unusual. Keep an eye on the child to recognize any possible symptoms that might appear and avoid activities that have a risk of contact, collision, or fall.
Recommended: return to regular activities after 48 hours.
Recovery
A concussion diagnosis has been determined by a health care professional?
Recommendation: gradual return to usual activities and adapt expectations and routines in the following days. For all our recovery tips
Check back soon. We’re working on recommendations tools for early childhood concussion recovery.
A reminder to keep handy
The Early Childhood Detection Tool accompanies you step-by-step to help understand the symptoms and make the best decision following a head injury in a young child.
COCO Tools
Young children may have difficulty expressing their discomfort after a head injury. COCO tools support key actors in detecting concussions, managing them, and supporting the recovery of young children.
COCO Project
The COCO knowledge mobilisation program combines concussions and communication. The goal is to disseminate knowledge about concussions in children, especially the youngest ones.
COCO is led by the ABCs Laboratory, affiliated with the Centre de recherche Azrieli du CHU Sainte-Justine and the University of Montreal.
