A new Canadian study says that kids who have suffered a concussion should get back to school sooner to give them a better recovery.
The study, published in the JAMA Network Open on Friday, found that kids between eight and 18 who returned to school in fewer than three days after injury showed more improvement in symptoms 14 days later than kids who stayed home from school longer.
Senior author Dr. Roger Zemek, a concussion expert at the CHEO Research Institute in Ottawa, says concussion symptoms can include physical pain or dizziness, cognitive challenges, sleep disruption and emotional distress that affects mental health.
He says it's OK for kids to still have some symptoms when they go back to class, as long as they can tolerate them.
Zemek says an early return to school allows kids to see their friends, avoid the stress of missing too many classes, keeping a normal sleeping schedule and doing light to moderate activity, which has previously been shown to be beneficial for blood flow and brain healing.
The study says it's important for schools to make accommodations for students with concussions, such as excusing them from any contact-based gym activities where they could hit their head again and allowing students experiencing cognitive symptoms to postpone tests until they have improved.