Study Reveals a Link Between Childhood Concussion and MS

Childhood concussions should never be taken lightly, but one study reveals that maybe parents should be taking them even a little more seriously. According to the study, a person’s risk for MS increases drastically if he or she has one or more diagnosed concussions on his or her childhood medical record. For every concussion sustained, the risk increases. MS is a debilitating disorder, and it can severely affect a person’s quality of life. If you or a loved one has MS and if you suspect that childhood concussion is the cause, talk with a personal injury about pursuing damages. Even if the injury occurred 10, 20, or even 30 years ago, Illinois law protects individuals with latent conditions stemming from a prior injury. Though the wording is a bit convoluted, Illinois 735 ILCS 5/13-212 ultimately protects individuals in circumstances where they cannot discover their injury until after the statute of limitations has run. The statute of limitations is also different for childhood injuries, which is why it is best to consult with a Rockford brain injury attorney as soon as you suspect that your condition has anything to do with a concussion.

What is MS?

Multiple sclerosis is an often debilitating disease that attacks the central nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. While explaining the science behind MS should be left to the experts, we can tell you is that MS causes messages from the brain to become distorted as they travel through the spinal cord, thereby producing a wide array of symptoms. Until recently, scientists were not sure what caused the condition, but as more research is being done, they are beginning to discover links that they had never considered before, such as childhood concussion.

The Impact of Concussions

Because MS is a condition of the CNS, it would make sense that any type of brain injury, whether severe, moderate, or mild, might trigger symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the future. While many medical links are extremely casual, the link between childhood concussion and MS is surprisingly strong.

Scientists who conducted the study divided the children into two groups: children 10 and under and children between 11 and 20. Those who received a single concussion or head injury between the ages of 11 and 20 were 22 percent more likely to develop MS than those who had not. The incident rate nearly doubled if a person had sustained multiple concussions during that time period.

Interestingly, however, one or more multiple concussions in individuals 10 or younger did not affect their risk for sustaining MS later in life.

If You Have MS, it Does Not Hurt to Consult With an Attorney

Though children are apt to sustain concussions doing any number of things—falling off the bed, falling off a swing, getting hit in the head with a ball, taking one too many aggressive tackles in football—and therefore, no one can be held accountable for future injuries, there are some instances of concussion for which the grown child can hold someone accountable. For instance, a concussion sustained in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, or one that was the result of a slip and fall in a grocery store, is the result of someone else’s negligence. That person should be held liable for future injuries and damages, which can include lost income, loss of enjoyment of life, and medical expenses, to name a few.

If you recall an incident from your childhood that was entirely out of your control and from which you sustained a head injury, it is worth talking to a Rockford personal injury lawyer about your options. Contact the lawyers at Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. today.