Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Any direct force to the head or a force that causes the brain to shift or rotate may damage brain cells and surrounding structures. The damage may be mild and not recognized by athletes, coaches or team physicians. It also can be moderate or severe with loss of consciousness.

Some children with traumatic brain injury experienced a decline in cognitive function following a recovery plateau, indicating the need for long-term reassessment of these patients, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.

The AAP published a new list of medical treatments, tests and procedures related to pediatric surgery that may be overused.

Boys who exhibit inattention, hyperactivity and externalizing problems are at an increased risk for traumatic brain injury, or TBI, and evidence-based treatments to reduce these behaviors may decrease the risk for TBIs to age 34, according to a prospective cohort study published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Further, researchers reported that childhood TBIs were associated with an increased risk for adolescent TBIs.