WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV and Senator Tom Udall today commended the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies for creating a committee to study sports-related concussions in youth. Rockefeller and Udall sent a letter in May 2012 to the National Academy of Sciences urging a comprehensive assessment of how best to protect young athletes.

“We need to know as much as possible about sports-related concussions and their effects on our children, which is why Senator Udall and I asked the National Academies and our nation’s top scientists to comprehensively study the issue,” said Rockefeller. “Athletes, parents, and coaches should have the best science available to make informed decisions that maintain the safety of our young athletes while ensuring children continue to enjoy themselves on the field. I’m glad the National Academies is taking this issue seriously.”

"I appreciate the decision by the Institute of Medicine to move forward with our request," Udall said. "The study from the National Academy of Science will bring a level of unbiased and authoritative advice to this issue and will help ensure student athletes in New Mexico and around the country are competing in the safest environments possible.”

The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing in October 2011 which uncovered that sports equipment manufacturers have repeatedly made claims that their equipment “prevents concussions” or “reduce the risk of concussions” without scientific evidence to prove them.

Click here for more information on the Concussions hearing.

###