Traumatic Brain Injury Prevention
There are many ways to reduce the chances that you or your family members will have a concussion or more serious brain injury:
- Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
- Buckle your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt (according to the child’s height, weight, and age).
- Children should start using a booster seat when they outgrow their child safety seats (usually when they weigh about 40 pounds). They should continue to ride in a booster seat until the lap/shoulder belts in the car fit properly, typically when they are approximately 4’9” tall.
- Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Wear a helmet and make sure your children wear helmets that are fitted and maintained properly when:
- Riding a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, scooter, or all-terrain vehicle;
- Playing a contact sport, such as football, ice hockey, lacrosse, or boxing;
- Using in-line skates or riding a skateboard;
- Batting and running bases in baseball or softball;
- Riding a horse; or
- Skiing, sledding, or snowboarding.
- Ensure that during athletic games and practices, you and/or your children:
- Use the right protective equipment (should be fitted and maintained properly in order to provide the expected protection);
- Follow the safety rules and the rules of the sport;
- Practice good sportsmanship; and
- Do not return to play with a known or suspected concussion until you have been evaluated and given permission by an appropriate health care professional.
- Make living areas safer for seniors by:
- Removing tripping hazards such as throw rugs and clutter in walkways;
- Using nonslip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors;
- Installing grab bars next to the toilet and in the tub or shower;
- Installing handrails on both sides of stairways;
- Improving lighting throughout the home; and
- Maintaining a regular exercise program to improve lower body strength and balance, if your health care professional agrees.
- Make living areas safer for children by:
- Installing window guards to keep young children from falling out of open windows;
- Using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs when young children are around;
- Keeping stairs clear of clutter;
- Securing rugs and using rubber mats in bathtubs; and
- Not allowing children to play on fire escapes or on other unsafe platforms.
- Make sure the surface on your child’s playground is made of shock-absorbing material, such as hardwood mulch or sand, and is maintained to an appropriate depth.
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