As Joplin parents know, growing children are always in search of better ways to move. They start out crawling, but are soon walking, then running and eventually driving. Each method is riskier than the one that preceded it in the child’s evolution.
A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the causes of head injuries change as children grow, beginning with infants and toddlers hurt in falls, to teenagers suffering brain injuries in auto accidents, sports activities and assaults.
Researchers studied data from children admitted to hospital ERs for blunt force trauma in 2004 – 2006. In the youngest group – children under the age of two – the most common causes of injuries were fall-related: falling from a height, falling down stairs or falling while standing, walking or running.
In the group of children ages 2 to 12, the leading causes of head injuries shifted slightly: falling from a height, falling while standing, walking or running and accidental blows to the head.
The most dramatic shift in sources of head injuries comes in the teen years, however. What is the leading cause of head injuries in kids 13 to 17? Assault. Twenty-four percent of blunt force trauma injuries sustained by those teens are due to assaults.
Sports activities account for 19 percent of the injuries, and car accidents cause another 18 percent.
When a child suffers a head injury because of a property owner’s negligence in a matter of premises liability or because of a driver’s negligence in a car accident, parents strive to provide the best health care possible. An experienced personal injury attorney helps parents fight to hold accountable the person responsible for their child’s injuries.
Source: NPR, “The Risk Of Brain Injuries Shifts As Children Grow Up,” Alison Bruzek, Nov. 12, 2014
