Pressure on teen athletes soars as concussions triple

CINCINNATI - There's a frightening new trend among teenage athletes that could affect them for life. A new study shows their concussions have tripled in just the last decade.

The Journal Pediatrics reports emergency room visits for 14 to 19 year olds nationally has soared from 7,000 to almost 22,000 a year since the 1990s.

The researchers say better reporting of symptoms is part of the reason for the increase in concussion reports, but they also say that increasing intensity of youth and school sports is probably also playing a significant role in increasing concussion injuries.

Specialists say that coaches and parents should not try to "tough out" a concussion.

Any potential head injuries that include a severe headache, nausea, dizziness and trouble concentrating should be checked out by a doctor or medical expert.

Teen athletes with a concussion should not return to their sports until their symptoms have disappeared. Otherwise, long-term brain damage, memory problems and depression are possible.

Among the other Pediatrics study findings: the number of kids under 13 seeking treatment for concussions has doubled.

A new Ohio newspaper report says the pressure to win has gotten so high, children are burning out sooner and getting more serious injuries.

The Columbus Dispatch says it surveyed over 1,000 Ohio high school athletes and over 200 coaches.

It found half the athletes started playing sports as young as 6 years old, and even then were told if they played hard enough they might get scholarships.

More than 40 percent of the athletes say their parents pressured them to play and 10 percent say they were embarrassed by their parents behavior during games.

Almost 90 percent of the Ohio high school coaches surveyed say all this pressure their athletes feel is increasing burnout, bad athletic habits and injuries.

We'll be looking to see if Cincinnati Children's Hospital is seeing a similar increase in concussions and sports related head injuries, and what it may be doing to help prevent or treat them.