Concussions in kids' sports or play happen to as many as 2 million U.S. children and teens each year, according to reported data, but as many as a half million injured youths receive no treatment or unqualified care, said a new study.
The estimate was based on 2013 data from emergency-room visits, hospitalizations, doctor-office visits, concussion reports made to high school athletic trainers, and information from previous concussion studies, reported The Associated Press.
But the researchers say the numbers are imprecise, highlighting the need for a concussion surveillance system as recommended by the Institute of Medicine, a nonprofit group that advises the government on public health issues.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to create a system to track concussion rates and trends in children and adults. In addition to getting a better picture of how big a problem concussions are nationwide, the system may help identify which sports and activities are riskiest for kids.
"It is critical this system includes recreational sources of concussion," the study authors said.
The new study, led by pediatrician Dr. Mersine Bryan of Seattle Children's Hospital, involved kids age 18 and younger. It was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
The researchers said data suggest between 1 million and 2 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur in U.S. kids each year. They estimated that half a million or more kids sought treatment from an athletic trainer or received no treatment at all.
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