Spotlight on Brain Injury Awareness

At BCSC we're passionate about spreading knowledge and support for those affected by life-changing, often hidden brain injuries. Throughout this month, we're dedicated to raising awareness about brain injuries, their causes, and the importance of seeking proper legal guidance for those impacted.

Here’s a few brain injury statistics you may not know:

• There are approximately 2.5 million brain injuries of varying severity each year.
• Nearly 300,000 hospitalizations each year throughout the U.S. are caused by brain injuries.
• 50,000 deaths occur annually due to fatal brain injuries or TBI (traumatic brain injury) complications.
• More than 90,000 long-term disabilities are caused by a TBI each year.
• More than 5.3 million Americans need help performing day-to-day activities due to living with TBIs.
• Men are 1.5 times more likely than women to suffer a traumatic brain injury, which might be related to increased enrollment in high contact sports and military service positions.
• Children under the age of four and teenagers aged between 15 and 19 years of age have an inordinately higher chance of suffering a brain injury compared to other age groups.
• The total cost of TBIs each year in the U.S. is approximately $60 billion when factoring in medical bills and lost productivity.

Here are some tips on reducing the likelihood of a brain injury for you and your family:

Fall Prevention Among Children

• Falls at home, on playgrounds, and while playing sports are most common among children under the age of nine. To protect children from falls, caregivers should take the following precautions:
• Supervision is key! Young children should be supervised at all times around fall hazards, such as stairs and playground equipment, whether you are at home or playing outside.
• Make home safety improvements. Use home safety devices, such as guards on windows that are above ground level, stair gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and screens or gates around fireplaces and other dangerous areas. These devices can help keep a busy, active child from taking a dangerous tumble.
• Play it safe on the playground. Check to make sure the equipment is properly maintained (e.g., no cracked or broken parts) and there is a soft landing surface below, such as shredded recycled rubber mulch, pea gravel, sand, wood chips, or mulch.
• Play sports safely. Children must wear the appropriate protective gear for their sport, such as a helmet when biking, inline skating, and skateboarding.

Fall Prevention Among Older Adults

• Remove items you can trip over (like throw rugs, papers, books, clothes, and shoes) from stairs and other places where you walk. Items such as double-sided tape may help to keep rugs from slipping.
• Be aware of pets and pet-related toys. They can create home hazards.
• Keep items you use often in cabinets which you can reach easily without using a step stool.
• Install grab bars next to your toilet and in the tub or shower. Use nonslip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors.
• Improve the lighting in your home. As you get older, you need brighter lights to see well. Hang lightweight curtains or shades to reduce glare.
• Begin a regular exercise program. Physical activity makes you stronger and helps you feel better. Exercises that improve strength, balance and coordination (like Tai Chi) are the most helpful. Ask your doctor or health care provider about the best type of exercise program for you.

Motor Vehicle Safety

The best way to prevent a motor vehicle related TBI is to always use a safety belt. Safety belts keep occupants from being tossed around inside and thrown out of the vehicle in a car crash. Frontal and side air bags, which are now common in most new motor vehicles, also reduce the risk of head injuries. The simple act of buckling up every time and in every seating position greatly reduces the risk of head injuries in a car crash. Unrestrained back seat passengers can turn into "back seat bullets" causing serious, even fatal, injuries to other restrained and unrestrained occupants in a car crash.

Properly used and installed car safety seats protect children from serious injuries or death in a crash. Select a car safety seat based upon your child's age and size. The seat should fit your car, fit your child, be comfortable for your child and be used on every trip.

Bicycle Safety

Children are at particularly high risk for bicycle-related injuries. Head injury is the leading cause of bicycle-related death, and using a helmet is the most effective way to reduce these injuries and fatalities. A properly fitted bicycle helmet can reduce the risk of TBI by 88 percent!