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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Children
Washington, D.C., Maryland & Virginia
Brain injury is the most common cause of death and disability among United States children. Over a million children suffer brain injuries every year, and around 165,000 of them require hospitalization. However, even the cases that do not require hospitalization should be carefully watched over time to ensure that any latent symptoms are identified and addressed.
Long-Term Effects of TBI in Children
Even when a child seems to have fully recovered from their brain injury, long-lasting neurological and psychological problems can still occur years later. A study conducted by Ohio State University discovered that a full year after injury, almost 60% of children with TBI suffered problems in at least one of the following areas:
- Cognitive function
- Behavior
- Memory and learning
- Adaptation
- Academics
According to researchers, severe brain injuries that occur at younger ages tend to be a “double hazard,” since children’s brains are still developing. Additionally, the same type of head injury can affect a four-year-old and a twelve-year-old quite differently. For these reasons, children need specific, targeted treatment that addresses their individual needs.
Severe TBI Can Impact a Child’s Development
The University of California Los Angeles recently performed their own study on children with brain injuries, analyzing children with mild, moderate, and severe TBI cases for key aspects of neurocognition.
According to their findings, children with severe brain injuries were impaired in almost every neurocognitive area even after two years. The tested areas included IQ, verbal memory, attention, and processing speed. Despite experiencing some level of recovery during these first two years, children with severe TBI not only failed to catch up with their peers, but they actually appeared to fall further behind as time went on, throwing off their normal developmental timeline.
Falls and car accidents are the most common causes of TBI in children, and are often the result of another person’s negligence. If your child was involved in an accident, they should be carefully monitored for an extended period of time to detect potential signs of traumatic brain injury. TBI can impact a child well into their future, resulting in extensive cognitive and behavioral therapy that can be an overwhelming financial burden on a family.
If your child has suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident caused by another person’s negligence or wrongdoing, we can help you pursue the compensation you need to provide for your child’s present and future needs.
Please contact our experienced Virginia brain injury lawyers today to schedule a free initial consultation. Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. represents brain injury victims throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.
