Pediatric traumatic brain injury is caused by trauma to the head that disrupts typical brain function in children. Symptoms can change over time due to the child's continuous brain development. Common causes in young children include falls, assaults, shaken baby syndrome, and physical abuse. Therapy focuses on restoring functions like speech and language through family-centered, restorative, habilitative, and compensatory approaches to help the child reach their highest potential. Prevention efforts target child abuse, proper safety gear use, and creating safe environments.

1. Pediatric Traumatic Brain
Injury
Dr. Tehreem Anis
DIRS, DU

2. What is Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury?
• Trauma to the head that disrupts typical brain function
• Chronic in children
• Symptoms change over time due to the child’s continuous brain development
• Injury may not be immediately apparent

3. Severity Levels

4. GCS
• Quick assessment that identifies the
severity of head injury
• The more points awarded indicate a
less severe head injury

5. Causes
• TBI is a Leading cause of death in children ages
0—4 and adolescents ages 15-19.
• Primary causes in infants, toddlers,
preschoolers
• Falls
• Assaults
• Shaken baby syndrome
• Physical abuse
• Secondary causes in infants, toddlers,
preschoolers (more common in older children)
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Sports injuries (ASHA, 2017)

6. Prevalence
• In the US, approx. half a million children ages 0-14 years are admitted
to emergency rooms each year due to TBI
• In the US, children ages 0-4 years had the highest estimated annual
rates of TBI related emergency room visits (1256 per 100,000)
• Boys ages 0-9 are more likely than girls
• Mild TBI or concussions are more prevalent (ASHA, 2017)

7. Symptoms - General

8. Symptoms - General

9. Symptoms – Speech and Language

11. Symptoms – Feeding and Swallowing

12. Therapy Focus

13. Therapy Approach – Family Centered Practice

15. Therapy Approach – Restorative

16. Therapy Approach - Habilitative

17. Therapy Approach - Compensatory

18. Prevention
• Campaign against child abuse and shaken impact syndrome
• Seatbelt, helmet usage
• Think first – aggressive injury prevention campaign
• Sports gears
• Protective flooring and heights of play ground
• Safe behavior around children

19. References
• Pediatric Rehabilitation – Principles
and Practice. Chapter 15
• https://www.biav.net/wp-
content/uploads/2017/06/Understandi
ng-Pediatric-Brain-Injury-Mayo.pdf