What to Do when Your Child Suffers a Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries require immediate medical attention as they can worsen overtime resulting in long-term debilitation and death. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to determine if a brain injury has occurred as symptoms may not be immediately evident or easy to detect. This is especially true for young children, toddlers, and infants.

If you suspect that your child has suffered a brain injury or if you believe your child may have suffered any kind of impact or injury to their head, the best course of action is to have them checked out by a healthcare provider as soon as possible. They can determine if an injury has occurred, the extent of that injury, and the best course of action in terms of treatment. If your child’s injury was the result of negligence, the next step is to contact an experienced child injury attorney. An attorney can help establish your claim to compensation, ensuring your child is able to receive the medical attention they need.

Child Brain Injury Statistics

The following information is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Among children ages 0 to 14 years, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) result in an estimated 400,000 emergency department visits each year.
• Between 2001 and 2009, the number of sport-related concussion and sport-related TBI emergency room visits involving children ages 19 and under rose by 57%.
• Children aged 0 to 4 years, older adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, and adults aged 65 years and older are most likely to sustain a TBI.
• Almost half a million (473,947) emergency department visits for TBI are made annually by children aged 0 to 14 years.
• Each year, an estimated 1.7 million people sustain a TBI annually. Of them 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.365 million, nearly 80%, are treated and released from an emergency department (CDC).
• TBI is a contributing factor to 30% of all injury-related deaths in the United States (CDC).
• Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of TBI-related death in children and young adults ages 5- through 24-years

What Are the Leading Causes of Brain Injuries in Children?

Children can experience traumatic brain injuries from a variety of causes and many times could have been prevented. Some common causes include:

• Sports injuries
  • Sports and recreational activities contribute to approximately 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children and teens.
• Auto accidents
  • Among all age groups, motor vehicle crashes and traffic-related incidents were the third leading cause of TBI (14.3%). One out of four TBI-related deaths were caused by a motor vehicle accident.
• Falls
  • Falls continued to be the leading cause of TBI (40.5%) in the United States. Falls cause more than half (55%) of the TBIs among children aged 0 to 14 years and 61% of all TBIs among adults aged 65 years and older.
• Assault
  • Assaults produced 10.7% of TBIs in the general population; they accounted for only 2.9% in children aged 0 to 14 years and 1% in adults aged 65 years old and older.
• Struck by/against an object
  • Between 2006 and 2010, the second leading cause of TBI was the act of being struck by or against an object. According to the CDC, being struck by or against an object was the culprit in 15.5% of TBI cases

Does Your Child Have Symptoms of A Traumatic Brain Injury?

Symptoms your child may exhibit if he or she has a brain injury include:

• Changes in pupil size
• Chronic or severe headaches
• Coma
• Fluid draining from nose, mouth, or ears
• Fracture in the skull or face
• Irritability
• Confusion
• Low breathing rate
• Memory loss
• Behavioral changes
• Paralysis
• Restlessness, clumsiness, or lack of coordination
• Seizures
• Drowsiness
• Speech and language problems
• Slurred speech
• Blurred vision
• Stiff neck
• Vomiting

If your child is showing signs of any of these TBI symptoms, you should seek medical help immediately.

Contact an Experienced Child Brain Injury Attorney

At Thomas J. Henry, we have the experience and resources to handle your child’s brain injury case. If your child has been the victim of a traumatic brain injury, contact our offices. Our attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to one of our offices, we will send an attorney directly to you. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and Austin, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free legal consultation to discuss the symptoms of TBI in your child.