Traumatic Brain Injuries in Children

Analysis of natural survey data has found that an estimated 2.5 percent of U.S. children have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI) during their lifetime.

Why The Research Is Interesting: This study analyzed national survey data to estimate how common it is for children to have a TBI during their lifetime based on reports from parents of a concussion or brain injury diagnosed by a health care professional.

‘Traumatic brain injury in children is a public health concern because such injuries send children to emergency departments and carry risk for long-term adverse outcomes.’

Who, What and When: An analysis of data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health to estimate lifetime TBI in children, associated childhood health conditions, and health insurance type and adequacy based on reports from parents.

How (Study Design): This was a data analysis.

Authors: Juliet Haarbauer-Krupa, Ph.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, and coauthors.

Study Limitations: The study didn't examine medical records and relies on parents reporting diagnoses.

To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website. (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2740)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Source: Eurekalert