Is a Brain Injury the Cause for Your Child’s Memory Loss?

Kids, especially those in high school, are at a very high risk of suffering from a brain injury. Athletes are especially susceptible to brain injuries, or concussions. In fact, the CDC states that concussions have reached an epidemic level in the United States.

Sports-related concussions as a whole are between 1.6 million and 3.8 million in the U.S. every year.

High school athletes, those that actually go to a doctor and are properly diagnosed, reach 300,000 per year. One study found that 15% of all sports-related injuries involve concussions on the high school level alone.

“Memory loss and traumatic brain injury go hand in hand. Traumatic brain injury can damage parts of the brain that control memory and learning. It can cause short-term memory loss that impacts daily life, as well as long-term memory loss that impacts past and future memories,” write the Law Office of Matthew L. Sharp.

But how bad are these concussions and brain injuries for your child? Most people will be fine, healing and getting through their lives without issues.

Others may have long-lasting issues.

Memory Issues After a Brain Injury

Children, or adults, that suffer from a traumatic brain injury may show little-to-no signs of any issues, but over time, the signs may start to present themselves. Memory loss is one of the biggest concerns because short-term and long-term memory can also be impacted.

And when dealing with a child, it’s too easy to blame their lack of interest in a topic for their memory issues.

Statistics show that when dealing with short-term memory issues, a child may perform better if they:

• Sleep better at night
• Try and avoid being too fatigued
• Manage stress
• Exercise regularly and eat health

Working on making a person less memory-reliant, even for just the initial stages, is a good idea. This means keeping a pen and paper near the person to try and remember things, such as homework tasks and assignments.

Voice recorders may be used as well as lists and checklists to help your child progress with the school year without getting too far behind on his or her studies. A memory book can be created in severe cases so that a person can remember names, experiences and other big events in their lives.

Brain injuries, which can be moderate or severe, can impact memory, depending on where the injury occurs.

If your child is having difficulty remembering subject matter in school or can’t seem to remember simple tasks, you may want to schedule an appointment with a neurologist. Even a head injury that didn’t seem major at the time may have a negative impact on a child’s memory.

Another interesting fact is that a person with a traumatic brain injury will likely not remember the injury. The brain often doesn’t store these series of memories, and if a child doesn’t remember the injury occurring, it’s very unlikely that they ever will.

So, if your child has memory issues, it really might not be their fault if they suffered any form of head trauma.