Webinar to shed light on paediatric concussion care

BARWON Health is set to host a webinar bringing together specialists from McKellar Kids Rehab and an audience of parents, coaches, and teachers to talk about paediatric concussion.

Concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries, can disrupt how the brain functions, showing symptoms like confusion, headaches, and memory loss after head trauma.

McKellar Kids Rehab in North Geelong saw around 60 young patients with lingering concussion symptoms last year.

Host of the webinar and clinical neuropsychologist Dr Therese Clark said the majority of their clients experienced a concussion as the result of a fall.

“The most common causes of paediatric concussion are a fall from play equipment or tripping over and banging their head, followed by head trauma suffered while playing contact sport.

“Our multi-disciplinary team consisting of a paediatrician, speech therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and neuropsychologist support our clients and their family to manage symptoms by providing psycho-education which is designed to help manage fatigue.

“We support clients on average for between two to three months, with an overall goal of supporting them to return to normal activities such as school and sport.”

Dr Clark highlights the importance of prompt treatment to prevent long-lasting effects of concussion

“It’s often the case that we receive a referral around six weeks after a concussion has occurred due to the young person experiencing significant ongoing symptoms,” Dr Clark said.

“It’s important we work in partnership with GPs to treat concussion, while also educating carers of young people about concussion signs and symptoms, treatments available and when to seek help.”

McKellar Kids Rehab, funded by Barwon Health, is part of Victoria’s network of specialist paediatric rehabilitation services, including collaborations with the Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash Children’s Hospital.

The free paediatric concussion webinar is on March 26 at 11am to 12 noon.