Prevention

What Can I do to Help Prevent Concussion and other forms of TBI?

There are many ways to reduce the chances of a concussion or other form of TBI, including:

1. Wearing a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
2. Buckling 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 4’9” tall.¹


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3. Never driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
4. Wearing a helmet and making sure your children wear helmets when:
   • Riding a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, scooter, or all-terrain vehicle;
   • Playing a contact sport, such as football, ice hockey, or boxing;
   • Using in-line skates or riding a skateboard;
   • Batting and running bases in baseball or softball;
   • Riding a horse; or
   • Skiing or snowboarding.
5. Making 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 physical activity program, if your doctor agrees, to improve lower body strength and balance.^2,3,4
6. Making living areas safer for children, by:
   • Installing window guards to keep young children from falling out of open windows; and
   • Using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs when young children are around.
7. Making sure the surface on your child's playground is made of shock-absorbing material, such as hardwood mulch or sand.⁵

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Warning on interaction between air bags and rear-facing child restraints. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report MMWR 1993;42(No.14):20–22.
2. Judge JO, Lindsey C, Underwood M, Winsemius D. Balance improvements in older women: effects of exercise training. Physical Therapy 1993;73(4):254–265.
3. Lord SR, Caplan GA, Ward JA. Balance, reaction time, and muscle strength in exercising older women: a pilot study. Archives of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation 1993;74(8):837–839.
4. Campbell AJ, Robertson MC, Gardner MM, Norton RN, Buchner DM. Falls prevention over 2 years: a randomized controlled trial in women 80 years and older. Age and Aging 1999;28:513–518.
5. Mack MG, Sacks JJ, Thompson D. Testing the impact attenuation of loose fill playground surfaces. Injury Prevention 2000;6:141–144.