Falls and car crashes tend to be main causes of Brain Injury in children. Acquired Brain Injury refers to injury occuring to a child after a period of normal development, for reasons such as stroke, tumor, infectious diseases, lack of oxygen to the brain, or trauma.
While an open head injury would include a gunshot to the head, there are 3 main types of brain injury a child can suffer;
· Localized injury, where there might be bruising of the brain or a blood clot formed. Bruising occurs when a child receives a hard blow to the head and areas of their brain hit against the skull. If vessels over the surface of the brain are stretched, then a blood clot forms. These type of brain injuries are subjected to one area of the brain and not the whole brain, resulting in loss of functions, such as memory or speech, and weakness on one side of the body
· Diffuse Axonal Injury occurs when axons, parts of the neurons in the brain system, receive acute force after a severe blow to the head. Neurons die when axons are torn, resulting in the brain damage that occurs in most, if not all places of a child's brain. Some areas, such as the location where the right and left half of the brain join, tend to be much more severely affected than others. Repercussions of this type of brain injury include loss of consciousness at the time of injury, a slow recovery, and loss of generalized functions, depending on how severe the blow or trauma to the brain was.
· A secondary type of injury that can occur after the 2 previously mentioned. While localized and diffuse axonal injury happen instantaneously, other problems, such as lack of oxygen, swelling of the brain, or a blood clot can cause concern, but be addressed promptly with correct intervention if watched for and recognized by medical staff.
Children and adolescents who suffer severe brain injury, unfortunately, sustain long term affects in some areas of functioning for the remainder of their life. However, with special education and proper interventions, functioning can be restored partly or fully, if acted upon early. Some problems that can occur after a Traumatic Brain Injury include:
· 5 to 10% of children who suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury experience seizures afterwards.
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