Massachusetts high schools reported more than 4,400 concussions and other head injuries suffered by students while playing sports during the last school year.

The injuries were reported to state public health officials by about 3,600 public and private schools.

It was the second year the surveys were collected under the state's 2010 concussion law, and about 150 more schools submitted data this time around. The total number of reported head injuries rose by about 1,000 over the previous year.

A Public Health Department official tells the Boston Globe the jump does not mean more children are getting injured, but that awareness of head injuries is growing, which is a good thing.

The numbers reported to the state are not broken down by sport or gender.

[Associated Press]

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