Free Cardiac and Concussion Screenings for Kids 5 and Up

April 10, 2018, Toms River, NJ – The Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes will provide free cardiac and concussion screenings to children ages five and older on Saturday, May 5 from 8 am to noon at Community Medical Center in Toms River. The age has been lowered from prior screening events since not all injuries happen on an athletic field.

Free concussion screenings are for children 5 to 18 years old and cardiac screenings are offered for children 6 to 18 years of age. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register for the screening and to schedule an appointment time, please email teamlink@rwjbh.org.

When preliminary testing to identify serious cardiac problems is provided to young athletes, sudden cardiac arrest and tragic deaths may be avoided. Ninety percent of sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes occur during or after athletic activities and hidden heart conditions are often the cause. This cardiac screening will help to identify children, age six to 18 years of age, who may require further testing or intervention.

The concussion baseline screening is for children, ages five to 18 years old. Having a concussion baseline study (ImPACT) can help identify issues in the future. Children five to 11 will be tested on an iPad which is much more game-like and makes the testing fun. If a child is believed to have suffered a head injury, this screening test may be used to evaluate the severity of the head injury and determine when it is safe to return to normal activities.

The screenings are being offered at Community Medical Center in collaboration with the Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes, both part of RWJBarnabas Health. The Morahan Center provides education, evaluation and assessment of sports injury and sports-related cardiac and concussion screenings.

Screenings are free of charge and a parent or guardian is asked to be present.