TBI in Children

Washington, D.C., Maryland & Virginia

The ultimate outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children can be elusive and unpredictable. Instead of growing out of their injuries, children can actually grow into them, as they reach states of development that rely heavily on the injured area of the brain. Injuries that do not seem to affect them earlier in childhood can suddenly start to cause problems.

Initial danger

Brain injury can cause all of the blood vessels in the brain to dilate, allowing the brain to fill with blood and swell resulting in extremely high intracranial pressure. This pressure can become high enough to be fatal in just a few hours. Immediately after the injury is incurred the child may seem fine, but suddenly lose consciousness a few hours later.

Outcome of TBI for infants and toddlers

Children who suffer TBI before they start school may appear to recover normally, only to develop symptoms when they start learning to read and write.

Problems developing later in childhood and the teenage years

A large portion of TBI in children affects the frontal lobes. The frontal lobes develop throughout childhood and until around the age of 16. This area of the brain is responsible for things like social skills and organization.

It is important to understand that a brain injury does not have to affect intelligence to produce learning disabilities and other debilitating problems. Symptoms in children often become more apparent as the child’s life and school setting become more complex and less structured.

In fact, many children will do just fine in school, but will manifest symptoms when they try to enter the workforce where they have more freedom and are responsible for organizing their own lives.

Physical disabilities

TBI affects every person and every child differently. The outcome is unpredictable. Physical disabilities, when they are present, are the easiest to recognize. They may include:

• Impaired vision
• Impaired hearing
• Impaired speech
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Seizures
• Impaired balance
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty writing or drawing
• Spacicity
• Seizures
• Paralysis

Cognitive disabilities

Cognitive disabilities may not be obvious until a skill is needed, and may be misinterpreted as behavioral problems. TBI can impair:

• Thinking
• Concentration
• Reasoning
• Judgment
• Short term memory
• Long term memory
• Reading and writing
• Planning
• Sequencing (understanding the order in which things happen)
• The ability to hold a conversation
• Attention and focus

Social, emotional, and behavioral disabilities

This is the most difficult area to nail down. Social and behavioral problems may not be noticeable until the child gets older, and never seems to fully mature. One of the dangers of TBI in children is that the area of the brain which is responsible for inhibition can be damaged, causing the child to say and do things which are socially unacceptable or even physically dangerous. If the child displays no other signs of impairment, this can be confusing for the child, parents, and can lead to problems in school and legal problems. Social, emotional, and behavioral problems stemming from TBI in children can include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Restlessness
• Lack of motivation
• Excessive crying
• Excessive laughing
• Inability to relate to others
• Impulsiveness
• Substance abuse
• Unexplained anger
• Violent behavior
• Suicide

Rehabilitation

Unfortunately, most children who suffer a TBI do not receive rehabilitation. The problems stemming from the brain injury are often misdiagnosed or misunderstood, and their educational needs are not met. They may even be medicated for conditions which they do not have, further complicating the problem.

If you or a loved one has suffered any type of traumatic brain injury in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC, please email or call our skilled brain injury attorneys today. We are committed to obtaining justice for you—the victim.

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