Traumatic Brain Injury in Children

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children occurs as a result of a sudden bump, roll, or jerk to the head or a penetrating injury to the head that interferes the normal brain function. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children. More than half a million children present annually to the emergency department for TBI-related visits, and resulting in the death of >7,000 children annually in the United States, with highest incident rates seen in children aged 0–4 years and adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. In Indonesia, from Riskesdas data in 2013 shows the incidence of head trauma in children is about 0.5% of the population from other injury rates. Pediatric TBI is associated with an array of negative outcomes, including impaired cognitive and academic abilities, social impairments, and behavioral problems. The scalp is highly vascularized and a potential cause of lethal blood loss. Even a small loss of blood volume can lead to hemorrhagic shock in a newborn, infant, and toddler, which may occur without apparent external bleeding.