These children also have significantly higher risk of poor school performance, according to new world-first research from Macquarie University.

One in eight children will experience a concussion by the time they are 18 years of age.

The research is led by Dr Reidar Lystad of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) at Macquarie University. It compared academic performance and high school completion of young people (18 years and under) admitted to hospital in New South Wales with concussion (during the study period 2005–2018) to matched peers who had not been admitted to hospital with any injury.

Compared to uninjured children of the same age and sex, children hospitalised with concussion were:

• 30 per cent more likely to not achieve the minimum standard for numeracy
• 40 per cent more likely to not achieve the minimum standard for reading
• 43 per cent more likely to not achieve the minimum standard for spelling
• 64 per cent more likely to not complete year 11
• 77 per cent more likely to not complete year 12.

“These poorer education outcomes for children who sustain a concussion are due, in part, to cognitive and behavioural changes that negatively impact their ability to learn,” Dr Lystad said.

“These changes can also last for a longer period of time than many people might expect, meaning support is required for an extended period of time.”

In about 35 per cent of children who have experienced a concussion, effects such as headaches, sleep difficulties, poor concentration and depression can last longer than four weeks, sometimes leading to difficulties at school or absenteeism.

“We looked at literacy and numeracy assessments because an inability to achieve the minimum standards can indicate that a child will have difficulty making progress in school without assistance,” Dr Lystad said.

“We also know that poor school performance or leaving school early can also lead to difficulties securing employment in later life,” he said.

“We don’t want children to stop playing sport or being adventurous, but there is a need to implement evidence-based return to school protocols and ensure that young people with concussion have access to multidisciplinary healthcare services, so they can recover without falling behind,” he said.

In general, falls and sport are the main cause of concussion injury in this age bracket.

“We need to look at reducing the risk in community and school-based contact sports and in particular the football codes,” he said.

This research is the world’s largest population-based study to estimate the impact of concussion on school children’s performance on national standardised tests for numeracy and reading and high school completion. Results are published in the peer-reviewed journal Concussion.

Contact chrissy.clay@mq.edu.au to arrange an interview with Dr Lystad.