Recovery from Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury: A Guarded Prognosis

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death or disability in children in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [1]. The incidence of long-term disability after severe TBI is high, with over 60% of children requiring educational or community based supportive services 12 months post-injury. There is increasing evidence that the young child’s brain may be particularly vulnerable to early trauma owing to both physiological and developmental factors [2,3]. Research on pediatric brain injury suggests a more complex prognostic conceptualization process than occurs with adults. Specifically, while mild brain injuries are not usually associated with longterm neuropsychological deficits [2], severe TBI’s can result in a more complex recovery process than with adults and may affect subsequent cognitive development [4]. Research suggests that later developing brain structures and functions (such as executive