Concussions

Expert Care to Protect Developing Brains

A concussion is an injury to the brain. Kids don’t have to be knocked out to have a concussion. A fall, a hit to the head or anything that shakes the brain inside the skull can cause this hidden injury. Concussions can be mild or serious. At Nemours, we have the skill and technology to diagnose different levels of concussion — and our experts know the right way to help your child’s brain heal.

Learn More About Concussions

Services We Offer

Children and teens with concussions need medical attention, lots of rest and a slow, careful return to daily routines under a doctor’s care. Our pediatric concussion experts work as a team to diagnose concussions and to create customized care across many different specialties. We offer a complete range of concussion evaluation and treatment services, including:

baseline testing before kids and teens get concussions, allowing us to capture normal brain function, memory, vision and balance-related data to assess any changes after a concussion
medical care to help each child slowly ease back into activities in a way that avoids setbacks or permanent problems
neurology and neurosurgery to find and correct the cause of headaches and other problems, when needed
vestibular (balance) assessment to see if dizziness may be due to a problem in the inner ear
vision assessment to find out if a concussion affected a child’s eyesight
neuropsychological screening to look at behavior, emotions, thinking and brain function after the injury
cognitive remediation and therapies — skill-building programs designed to restore a child’s ability to pay attention, remember things, and return to normal cognitive activities like reading
physical, speech and occupational therapy and rehabilitation care to help children regain functions that may be affected by a concussion
return-to-play guidance and management, including advice from sports medicine experts to help kids gradually get back to normal activities in a way that protects brain function
in-hospital school program to help kids transition back to school

Concussion treatment and support services may vary depending on the location.

Why Choose Us

Nemours pediatric concussion experts have years of experience in diagnosing and treating concussions in children and teens. We know what to look for and how to help kids recover. Most kids and teens who follow our guidelines heal within a week or two without lasting health problems. When children need more complex care with longer healing times, we create a specialized team to meet each child’s needs.

In addition to offering a full range of services, therapies and advanced technology, we stay on the leading edge of concussion research. We’re actively involved in studies and clinical trials to look for better ways to diagnose and treat conditions like concussions. And, year after year, many of our physicians are recognized as “Best Doctors in America®" .

Regional Highlights of Our Concussion Care

Services, programs and care teams differ at each location. Call for details.

Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia

U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Award for Orthopedic Care 2018-19

We offer complete treatment for concussions in children at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (Wilmington, Del.) and select satellite Nemours duPont Pediatrics locations.

regularly ranked among the top 10 children’s hospitals in the country for pediatric orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report (duPont Hospital for Children)
only pediatric rehabilitation program in the greater Philadelphia region accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
complete baseline concussion testing, with up to four separate tests (including ImPACT® and NeuroCom®) to check brain function, vision and balance
rehabilitation medicine doctors trained and board certified in both pediatrics and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) — one of only three in the country offering double board certification
pediatric sports medicine program that focuses on injury rehabilitation, prevention, and performance improvement and features advanced rehab facilities and therapy gyms
indoor water therapy pools
certified occupational and physical therapists
advanced diagnostic services to check for problems like internal bruising or bleeding, including X-rays, computed axial tomography (CAT or CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Central Florida

We offer concussion treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital (Orlando).

expert evaluation and treatment, plus baseline concussion testing
full-service care, starting with evaluation by sports medicine or neurosurgery doctors
physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) services, including occupational and physical therapies
advanced radiology (imaging) services, if needed

Northeast Florida

We offer complete concussion treatment at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville (in collaboration with Wolfson Children’s Hospital, connected by a walkway.)

expert evaluation and treatment, plus baseline concussion testing
full-service care, starting with evaluation by orthopedics or neurology doctors
physical medicine and rehabilitation services, including occupational and physical therapies
state-of-the-art imaging services, if needed
close academic and clinical affiliations with the University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville and Mayo Clinic Florida