Brain injury in kids

Table Of Content

1. Overview
2. What Could Cause A Child To Have A Brain Injury?
3. How Would You Know Your Child Has Brain Injury (Symptoms)?
4. Are There Ways You Can Prevent Brain Injury In Kids?
5. Summary 

Overview

Children’s primary cause of death and impairment is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Severe brain injuries in kids caused by a variety of severe injuries to the scalp, skull, and brain are similar to those in adults but have different causes and approaches to treatment. The variations in adult’s and children’s brain injury may be due to age-related structural changes, injury mechanisms that depend on the child’s physical capabilities, and the challenges associated with mental evaluation of children populations. 1

Worldwide, kid’s traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a concern, with high incidence rates documented in both developed and developing nations. Brain injury in kids can cause difficulties with speaking or learning, movement, thinking or remembering, and character or mood. 4

To identify and launch new public awareness campaigns and preventive initiatives, as well as to enhance clinical treatment, it is crucial to analyze and understand the injury patterns of pediatric (kids) traumatic brain injury. 2

What Could Cause A Child To Have A Brain Injury?

Here are the causes of traumatic brain injury in children;

• Road Traffic Accident
• Shaking of a baby’s heads
• Fall from bicycle or motorcycle
• Abusive hitting of your kid’s head 4
• Head-to-head collision during play or sport
• A fall from a height exceeding three to five feet

How Would You Know Your Child Has Brain Injury (Symptoms)?

Here are some symptoms that will help you determine if your child had a traumatic brain injury after a risky incident;

• If your child is confused or has slurred speech
• If your child has a sudden seizure (convulsion)
• If your child vomits frequently after the accident 
• If blood or watery fluid flows from their nose or ears
• If your child loses consciousness following the incident
• If your child experiences severe headaches that get worse over time
• If your child stumbles or has trouble walking due to a lack of coordination
• If a cut on the head did not stop bleeding after applying pressure for ten minutes
• If your child has sudden behavioral changes (such as being inactive, having difficulty waking up, moody, or exhibiting other abnormal behavior) 3

Are There Ways You Can Prevent Brain Injury In Kids?

Take the following steps to lower children’s risk of traumatic brain injury. 

• Fixing area rugs 5
• Do not shake your infant 4
• Keeping an eye on young toddlers at all times 5
• Put stair safety gates and window guards at your house.
• Use non-slip matting in the shower or bathtub to prevent fall
• When a youngster is in a motor vehicle, use a seat belt or a child safety seat.
• When the youngster plays sports like football and hockey, rides a bicycle, or skateboards, make sure they wear a helmet. 4

Summary 

Studies proved that the most common cause of death and disability among children is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause mental and physical damage that can have a significant impact on a child and the family. A brain injury can jeopardize a child’s physical, mental, and behavioral development.

Given that most childhood brain injuries are accidental, prevention is essential when it comes to pediatric traumatic brain injury. 

References

Araki, T., Yokota, H., & Morita, A. (2017). Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Characteristic Features, Diagnosis, and Management. Neurologia medico-chirurgica, 57(2), 82–93. https://doi.org/10.2176/nmc.ra.2016-0191

Riemann, L., Zweckberger, K., Unterberg, A., El Damaty, A., Younsi, A., & Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) Investigators and Participants. (2020). Injury causes and severity in pediatric traumatic brain injury patients admitted to the ward or intensive care unit: a Collaborative European Neurotrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. Frontiers in neurology, 11, 345. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.00345/full

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