How Should I Protect My Child From a Head Injury?

Head injuries in children happen for a variety of reasons. A few tips to avoid injuries:

• Child should always be buckled while riding in a car; either in a car seat or seat belt depending on age.
• Children should always wear a helmet when riding a bike.
• Please gates on the top and bottom of stairways to prevent falls going up or down.

According to a new study, if your child has been in an accident or taken a fall, they may face a lifetime of problems ranging from communication deficits to trouble with daily self-care.

Children with traumatic brain injury were found to lead to “substantial long-term reduction” in quality of life, according to the study.

The study, published in the November issue of Pediatrics, looked at 729 children under 18 years old treated for brain injuries at emergency rooms in Seattle and Philadelphia between 2007 and 2008.

The children’s functions were determined before the injury, and then they were tested three months, one year and two years after the injury. The children were assessed to see if they could have a conversation, and do things such as use the toilet, brush their teeth, and feed and dress themselves.

85% of the children suffered mild head injuries, and some of them had deficits at three months, but few suffered lasting loss of social and daily life activities. The children that suffered a moderate or severe brain injury seemed to face obstacles in day-to-day life, sports and school activities at the end of the two year research study. Researchers said that the more seriously injured children had a lower quality of life than children undergoing active treatment for cancer.

The study also included a control group of 197 children who had visited the same emergency rooms in the same time frame with only arm injuries. According to the findings, the children in the control group had no significant shortfalls after the two year study was complete.

For parents of children in Kansas City, check out, “Tips for Kansas City Parents: Diagnosing Early Warning Signs of Concussion in Your Child“.  Be sure to look for signs such as dizziness, sensitivity to light and irritability.

If you or someone you love has suffered a serious brain injury in an accident in Kansas or Missouri, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.  Call experienced Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys.  With over 15 years of experience in Brain and Spinal Injuries, we may be able to help you through this often difficult and stressful time.