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
