Authors say early return to school (in less than three days) may ultimately speed recovery <\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
MONDAY, Jan. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Prolonged absence from school after a concussion is associated with a greater symptom burden at 14 days, according to a study published online Jan. 20 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Christopher G. Vaughan, Psy.D., from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and colleagues examined the typical time to return to school after a concussion and evaluated whether an earlier return to school (less than three days postconcussion) is associated with symptom burden 14 days after injury. The analysis included 1,630 children (aged 5 to 18 years) with an acute (<48 hours) concussion.<\/p>\n The researchers found that 53.7 percent of children had an early return to school. Across age groups, the mean number of days missed increased (5 to 7 years, 2.61 days; 8 to 12 years, 3.26 days; 13 to 18 years, 4.71 days). There was an association observed between early return to school and lower symptom burden 14 days postinjury in the 8- to 12-year-old and 13- to 18-year-old age groups, but not in the 5- to 7-year-old age group. In individuals with a higher symptom burden at the time of injury, the association between early return and lower symptom burden was stronger, except in the 5- to 7-year-old age group.<\/p>\n “These results supported the growing belief that prolonged absences from school and other life activities after a concussion may be detrimental to recovery,” the authors write. “A<\/strong>n early return to school may be associated with a lower symptom burden and, ultimately, faster recovery.”<\/p>\n