Traumatic Brain Injury Prevention Tips

Safety Tips for You and Your Family

(Unless otherwise noted, the following safety tips have been adapted from the Brain Injury Association of America fact sheets.)

Motor vehicles are the leading cause of TBI-related hospitalizations (Thurman 2001). Below are some safety tips for driving or riding in motor vehicles: 

• Always wear a seat belt.
• Properly secure or buckle children into child safety seats appropriate for their ages and weights every time you travel.
• Properly secure or buckle children under 12 in the back seat to avoid air bag injuries.
• Never drive after using alcohol or drugs.
• Do not ride in a car with a driver who is drug- or alcohol-impaired.
• Prevent others from driving while impaired with alcohol or drugs.

Sports- and recreation-related TBIs are an important public health problem (Thurman 1998). Follow the tips below to make sports and recreation activities safer for you and your children.

Always wear helmets when

• riding a bike, motorcycle, scooter, or skateboard;
• in-line skating and rollerskating;
• skiing or snowboarding;
• horseback riding. 

Always wear helmets during the following sports activities:

• Football
• Ice hockey
• Batting and running the bases in baseball and softball

When children play at a playground

• Check the quality of playground equipment and the surfacing below. The surface below equipment should be shock absorbing material such as wood products, pea gravel, sand, or rubber products. The surface should be approximately 12 inches deep.
• Make sure there is adult supervision.

Falls are the second leading cause of TBI-related hospitalization (Thurman 2001). To help prevent falls for you and your loved ones: 

• Place non-slip mats on the bathtub and shower floor;> 
• Install grab bars in the shower and bathtub;
• Use a step stool with a grab bar to reach objects on high shelves;
• Wear sturdy non-slip shoes;
• When possible, reduce the use of medications with side effects that increase the risk of falling (Thurman 1999);
• Perform a home safety check and remove things that pose a tripping hazard;
• Secure banisters and handrails at all stairwells;
• Use safety gates at the bottom and top of stairs when young children are around (National SAFE KIDS Campaign 2002).
• Install window guards on all windows that are not emergency exits (National SAFE KIDS Campaign 2002).

(More information about preventing falls is located in the CDC Injury Center's Toolkit to Prevent Senior Falls)

Firearms are the leading cause of TBI-related death (Thurman 2001). If you have firearms in your home, the following steps can make your home safer:

• Keep firearms stored unloaded in a locked cabinet or safe.

• Store bullets in a separate location (Mercy 2002).

Symptoms of TBI 

If you think you or someone in your family may have a TBI, seek medical care right away. Symptoms of concussion among adults (CDC 1999):  

• Low-grade headaches or neck pain that won't go away
• Having more trouble than usual with mental tasks (e.g., remembering, concentrating, making decisions)
• Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading
• Getting lost or easily confused
• Feeling tired all the time, lacking energy or motivation
• Changes in sleeping patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping)
• Feeling light-headed or dizzy, losing your balance
• Blurred vision, eyes that tire easily, increased sensitivity to light
• Loss of the sense of smell or taste
• Ringing in the ears
• Mood changes (e.g., feeling sad or angry for no reason)Children may have some of the same symptoms as adults, but they may have a hard time letting others know how they are feeling. Symptoms of concussion among children include:

Children may have some of the same symptoms as adults, but they may have a hard time letting others know how they are feeling. Symptoms of concussion among children include: 

• Listlessness or tiring easily
• Irritability or crankiness
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Changes in the way the child plays
• Changes in performance at school
• Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities 
• Loss of new skills, such as toilet training
• Loss of balance, unsteady walking

Recovery Tips for People with TBI

General tips to aid in recovery include:

• Get lots of rest. Don't rush into daily activities such as work or school.
• Avoid doing anything that could cause another blow or jolt to the head.
• Ask your doctor when it's safe to drive a car, ride a bike, or use heavy equipment, because your ability to react may be slower after a brain injury.
• Take only the drugs your doctor has approved, and don't drink alcohol until your doctor says it's OK.
• Write things down if you have a hard time remembering.
• If the brain injury was severe, the injured person may need therapy to learn skills that were lost, such as speaking, walking, or reading. Your doctor can help arrange rehabilitation services.

In Your Community         

There are many opportunities to raise awareness in your community about the causes and consequences of traumatic brain injury. Below are some times of the year that may be appropriate for drawing attention to a particular issue.

• October is Brain Injury Awareness Month.
• The second week of March is Brain Injury Awareness Week.
• December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. 
• The week of Valentine’s Day is National Child Passenger Safety Week.
• The fourth week of April is National Playground Safety Week.

In addition, school is a great place to incorporate prevention efforts. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign website and the National Program for Playground Safety website have teacher plans and student handouts about motor vehicle, sports and recreation, and playground safety. 

Links to Partner Organizations

Government Organizations 

National Bicycle Safety Network (NBSN)

NBSN works to coordinate efforts among government, private, non-profit, and research organizations to reduce the number of bicycle injuries. It promotes bicycle safety through public education, information-sharing among member organizations, and appropriate environmental changes.

www.cdc.gov/ncipc/bike/


Email: NBSNINFO@cdc.gov

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

NHTSA is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA provides consumer information about motor vehicle safety topics.

www.nhtsa.dot.gov  
Child Passenger Safety: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/
Phone: 888-DASH-2-DOT (888-326-4236)

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

NINDS’s mission is to reduce the burden of neurological disease—a burden borne by every age group, by every segment of society, by people all over the world.
www.ninds.nih.gov
NIH Neurological Institute
P.O. Box 5801
Bethesda, MD 20824
Phone: 800-352-9424

Non-Government Organizations

Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)

BIAA identifies and responds to the needs of individuals with brain injury and their families. It creates new and innovative programs to serve its constituencies. BIAA has state-chartered affiliates, to help injured persons. BIAA also has a number of fact sheets about TBI.

www.biausa.org

105 North Alfred Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-236-6000
Toll Free: 800-444-6443
Fax: 703-236-6001

BIAA fact sheets: www.biausa.org/Prevfacts.htm

National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS)

Under a grant from the CDC NPSS works to reduce the annual playground-related injuries suffered by America’s youth. NPPS also serves as a recognized national clearinghouse for playground safety information.

www.uni.edu/playground

School for Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services
WRC 205
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0618
Phone: 800-554-PLAY (7529)

National SAFE KIDS Campaign

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is the first and only national organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury, the number one killer of children ages 14 and under.

www.safekids.org 

1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 202-662-0600
Fax: 202-393-2072

ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation

Thinkfirst Foundation works to prevent brain, spinal cord, and other traumatic injuries by educating of individuals, community leaders, and policy makers.

www.thinkfirst.org

5550 Meadowbrook Drive, Suite 110
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Phone: 847-290-8600
Fax: 847-290-9005
Email: thinkfirst@thinkfirst.org

Reference

Thurman D. The epidemiology and economics of head trauma. In: Miller L, Hayes R, editors. Head Trauma: Basic, Preclinical, and Clinical Directions. New York (NY): Wiley and Sons; 2001.