CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Surrounding another summer weekend, with some people taking all the week off with July 4th impending, UVA Health sees more head injuries this time of season. UVA Health Trauma Center Program Manager Valerie Quick says prevention and awareness are key. “Kids really, you need to make sure that they are properly geared,” Quick told CvilleRightNow.com.

“So having a good helmet on and they understand there are potential issues when hitting the head that they tell a parent about it.”

And Quick is telling parents that when in doubt, check it out by a health care professional. But symptoms that definitely show a serious injury after a bump to the head include nausea, vomiting, an open wound, a child not acting right, and loss of consciousness no matter how brief. And it’s important to keep a watch for 24 hours.

“You can have slower bleeds that can occur. And even if they’re going to sleep, and they’ve had a significant head injury and haven’t gone to the hospital yet, you want to make sure you wake them up and make sure they’re arousable at night,” Quick said.